Broken Hearts Change Nice Girls
by Kaggerz
Summary: The journey's over. Kagome returned to her time, sealing the well, after Inu Yasha decided to go to hell with Kikyou.  Brokenhearted, she found a flyer for a club.. Strippers wanted! Maybe she can forget her pain.. But did Inu really choose Kikyou?
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: I may not own Inu Yasha, but he loves me! He does! What?! I'm not crazy... I'm just... leave me alone! **

A/N: Okay, here's yet another fanfic by the great Kaggerz! I got the idea from this from my Stripper Kagome name on Yahoo! Messenger..

**12/15/04: Revisions: The excessive poem was getting on my nerves, so I shortened it. Some other minor content revisions as well.**

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_My heart was broken,  
When those words were spoken  
I've been replaced in your heart  
But was I ever there from the start?  
This is the price I pay,  
For wanting to stay with you another day.  
You have someone new...  
But I don't know what to do..._

If you could forget someone, would you? What if the pain was so great that you just wanted to forget them, forget all that you did, and go back to a normal life? What if you couldn't stand it any more, and you fell into a depression so deep, so intense, that you had lost all will to continue living? Would you want to? Or would you rather cry in your pillow for weeks and not eat or sleep?

Kagome Higurashi lay awake in her bed one night, pondering these questions. It had been months since her journey had ended, but the pain was so real. She rolled over, tears falling from her eyes and catching in her ears. At night, the images came back..

The images of what happened...

She saw Inu Yasha... She saw Kikyou... She saw their lips locked...

She saw her heart breaking...

No, this wasn't like the other time she saw them kissing... No, it was different..

She saw... she saw...

The tears wouldn't stop! She just wanted to forget what she saw! Forget the pain of her broken heart!

"Inu..Yasha.." she whimpered as she looked towards the full moon in her window.

Kagome found herself walking home from another exciting day at school. The bags under her eyes were so bad that she couldn't cover them up with make-up no matter how hard she tried! She sighed, dragging her feet along the sidewalk as she rested her forehead against the glass window of a shop.

She had lost weight... Hell, she had to be told to eat and shaken before she'd even consider putting it in her mouth.. And even then, it was small portions. Her thoughts also wondered and she found it harder than ever to concentrate.

But she found it even harder to have the will to live...

_'He... he... and now..'_ her thoughts were a jumbled mess. Tears shimmered in her eyes, but she was suddenly smacked in the side of her face with a flyer.

It told of a new club opening up around there.. A strip club! They wanted girls to work..

Young girls, but not -too- young... No ID required...

Somehow Kagome smiled. She was 17– almost 18– therefore, she'd have no problem. She suddenly felt the need to do this, as if it would help her move on with her life!

... She went straight to the address on the flyer....

And found herself in the back of an alley, though a neon sign– that happened to be off at the moment, since the club wasn't open– was there. She walked up to it, looking up and seeing that it read "Erotic Pleasure". She only sighed, trying to put on a fake smile so they wouldn't automatically send her away for being too down.

When she felt the smile _might _reach her eyes, she walked in. Immediately, she was greeted by a woman with long blonde hair and green eyes. She wore a black shirt with a plunging neck-line and some tight, hip-hugger black dress pants, with a belly chain. "Ah, a schoolgirl! Perfect! Hi there, I'm Tsubii!"

Kagome just looked at the cheerful woman, forcing her smile to widen, then bowed her head. "Hello, I'm Higurashi, Kagome."

"No need to be all formal! Geeez, smile for real! C'mon!" Tsubii tilted her head slightly, smiling at Kagome in a friendly manner.

Kagome sighed, raising her head and looking up at her with liquid brown eyes. "I'm sorry..."

"You seem shy... you sure you're up to this? What's your motive anyways? You don't seem like the sluttish type..." Tsubii said slowly, looking her up and down.

'I want to forget someone...' Kagome thought. She sighed and decided to instead say, "I need the money... real bad... I.. I can't find another job... please..."

Tsubii's eyes softened and she smiled slightly, resting a hand on Kagome's shoulder. "It'll be alright.. I'll give ya a go and see what you can do! Do you do stripping -and- lapdancing?"

Kagome smirked slightly, though she had never done either, and nodded. "Hai, both."

She had gotten the job.. Well at least so they could see how good she was at it. She was shy by nature when it came to this stuff, so she wondered if she'd be up to this. She sat at her desk at home, a bowl of oden in front of her. Her mother wanted her to eat, but understood what had happened, so stopped asking her to come down to the table.

Kagome had shut herself down... Off from the world.

All because of what happened...

She shook the thoughts from her head and focused on the oden in front of her, reaching a shaky hand to the spoon. 'Will I ever move on..?'

No... It's impossible to forget someone you truly loved.

It's impossible to heal a broken heart– unless it's healed by the person that broke it.

So, she waited... Maybe somehow he'd come back? He'd heal it?

Maybe... But she was just fooling herself. He had Kikyou now, so no matter how much she cared for him...

...Her love can't reach him anymore...

A warm tear fell into her oden, and she hurled a pillow into the side of the wall. _'I should've known this would happen! That Kikyou would get him in the end! But I didn't want to... see.. him..d-.. No! Don't think of that!'  
_  
But it's hard to forget... It's impossible to forget...

You'll always remember the pain. There's no escaping heart-break!

....That's why they call it "falling" in love.

Because your feet aren't on the ground, and you're so happy that you couldn't give a care! Then, you finally hit the ground.. And the longer you fell, the harder the hit. And when you finally hit... it was all over!

She had been falling for over two years... She was emtionally dead inside.

She raised the spoon to her lips and let the now cold oden slide down her throat. A sob caught in her throat and she choked, just about throwing up what little food she had in her system. More tears fell as she shoved the bowl away from her, not hungry at all.

Memories flashed in her mind– because, afterall, you'll NEVER forget that person...

She saw herself throwing her arms around Inu Yasha from when he had sealed the well...

She saw them embracing before he had hurled her in the well..

'No...'

She saw them sitting around a campfire with Inu Yasha in human form. She saw Sango, Miroku, and Shippou's smiling faces.

_'I.. I miss my friends... no..'_

She saw herself clutching the fire-rat haori close to her as Inuyasha's human form lay weak on the ground, his blood all over the haori... She heard herself saying that it didn't matter that it was covered in blood.. Because it was -his- blood.  
_  
'Inu..Yasha...no..'_

She saw many happy moments. Like when they walked along holding hands, when they'd embrace after she thought he died, when she was getting a cold and he draped his haori over her, when she'd bandage his injuries...

Then she saw Kikyou... when she was behind the tree and Inu Yasha and Kikyou were kissing.

"No.." she whispered aloud, two more tears falling at the stab in her heart.

She remembered crying under the Goshinboku because she had realized she loved him..

She saw all the times Inu Yasha had run off to Kikyou...

"No.."

It all lead up to this... To what happened... Inu Yasha had went chasing after Kikyou's shikigami and when he didn't come back, she went to check on him. She hid behind a bush, listening in on their conversation. Kikyou said it was time... Inu Yasha said he.. He... lo–

"No," she said stronger than a whisper.

He kissed Kikyou... and Kikyou rested her head on his shoulder, looking past him to Kagome.. Looking directly at Kagome, and smirked! Kagome had started to back away, tears forming in her eyes, but not wanting Inu Yasha to smell the salt in her pain.

"No!" she slammed her hands on her desk, willing the images away, as her mother burst through the door.

"Kagome..."

"Mamma..." she whispered, sobbing. Her mother came over and hugged her daughter close, letting her cry on her shoulder.

"It.. hurts so bad..." Kagome whispered through her sobs.

"I know, Kagome..." her mother whispered back, feeling tears come to her own eyes. Her little girl was in pain because of a broken heart, and she hated to see this.

They stayed like that until Kagome cried herself to sleep. Kagome's mother looked over at the virtually untouched oden and a tear escaped her eye. "Kagome dear..." she whispered, "at this rate, you're going to kill yourself or starve..."

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**A/N: Okay, writing a little -too- much for a prologue.. Next chapter is her first day at work and some more of what happened the final day of her journey! See ya soon!**


	2. First day of getting over him

**Disclaimer:-sigh- I..don't...own him.. But Christmas IS coming up after all!! And he -does- love me! o.O;; So suck on that, bi0tch! **

A/N: Another great and exciting chapter... another great and exciting poem... ah, screw it, I have nothing to say... other than..

I love you, guys... O.o;;

I promise this chapter -will- be longer... that last one was more of a prologue..

**12/15/04: revisions: Poem shortened, minor content changes.

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_One day, I went to see my lover,_

_But instead, I found him with another...  
I ran out of that place, shouting "We're through!"  
Tears falling because of all I just saw him do._

"You're obsessed." Kagome's friend, Yuka, stated. She had been watching Kagome closely for the past few months. They had said that her lack of apatite had to do with her illnesses, but Yuka wasn't fooled. She knew that forlorn look on Kagome's face and the bags under her eyes could only mean one thing.

Boy problems...

Ah, how fragile the human spirit can be.. There was once a saying "The human heart can only take so much pain before it breaks in two."

Well, this is the sight of someone broken.

Kagome leaned forward in her desk, snatching the poem from Yuka. She narrowed her eyes as she put the piece of paper roughly in her skirt pocket, mumbling under her breath, "I am NOT obsessed!"

"So you and your two-timing jerk finally broke up... just move on, Kagome!" Yuka snapped, leaning back in her desk.

_'Move on? How can I when he holds my heart...?'_ Kagome wondered, looking more forlorn than ever as she slumped in her desk.

"I mean, you need therapy or something to get over your obsession..." Yuka blabbed on, Kagome's eyes narrowing even more.

"You make it sound like I'm a stalker!" She shouted out.

"..Are you?"

"No!" Kagome's right eye twitched. _'Even if I wanted to stalk him, I don't have any jewel shards.. I can't get back to him.. Not that he'd even be there..' _As Kagome's thoughts wandered, she found her eyes watering and she looked down at her desk.

"What's the big deal? I've had plenty of boyfriends, and I get over them in no time.. You shouldn't dwell on the past like that.." Yuka stated.

"I can if I want to!" Kagome snapped, irritated and wanting to just run away from it all. Run from the pain.

"Just get over it already... Oh, wait.. I get it! He was the first boy you loved, wasn't he?" Yuka sounded a little _too _smug..

"I... yeah.." Kagome slumped even more in her desk, burying her face in her arms and willing herself not to cry at school.

"Ohh... I see.. You can't forget that, now can you?" Yuka still sounded smug...

"Leave me alone..."

Kagome grumbled as she walked down the sidewalk. School was over, not that she had been paying much attention. She had been writing depressing poetry! That proved more worthwhile to her than education... Expressing herself on paper that is.

She reached the alley that she had been to before, sighing. First day at work and she was shaking. 'I should just walk home and forget it all before...'

Too late.

Tsubii had spotted her and was waving her down.

Kagome sighed, wishing to disappear, but instead walked over. Tsubii smiled brightly and grabbed her elbow, pulling her along. "Hiya! Have a good day at school?"

Kagome smiled fakely and nodded. "As good as it gets.."

Tsubii caught the fact that it was fake and nodded softly. "Great... so how many times have you done this again?"

"Umm.. Several..." she mumbled, even though she had -never- done it.. But hey, if they can in the movies, why can't she, right?

Tsubii nudged her inside and Kagome saw other girls sitting at the bartop, some sitting on it, some sitting on stage. She only counted ten, though. A few big guys stood here and there. Bouncers! And a girl was behind the bartop, dressed sluttily, but with a bow tie, and she stood polishing a glass.

"Welcome to the family, kid." Tsubii said, winking. "Lemme introduce ya to the girls!" Kagome nodded as she led her over to them.

"This one's Sakaba, the bartender." she pointed behind the bar at the girl polishing the glass. Sakaba smiled and nodded her hello. Tsubii motioned to the girls sitting at the bar and on the stage. "These girls are strippers and lapdancers like you.. You all shall rotate jobs of serving drinks to customers, giving lap dances, and stripping."

Kagome nodded, looking down the line as Tsubii began to list them off from left to right. Kagome learned that:

The platinum blonde with blue eyes was Kimpatsu.

The girl with curly, black hair and brown eyes was Hokori.

The girl with brown hair pulled to a twist at her neck was Roba.

The girl with green eyes, and short, red hair was Kinjiru.

The girl with waist-long brown hair and blue eyes was Shogai.

The girl with long black hair and brown eyes was Kansetsu.

The girl with cropped strawberry blonde hair was Hisui.

The girl with shoulder-length black hair was Tsuki.

The girl at the end was Kikera.. But Tsubii said to call her Kiki for short. She had long brown hair and hazel eyes, and was leaning against the stage.

They all had nodded their hello and Kagome felt more nervous than ever. Tsubii patted her on the back and handed her some clothes. "Go change into these... Dressing room's thataway!" Tsubii said with a smile, pointing towards a door by the stage. Kagome muttered her thanks and began to go towards the door, noticing that all the rest were already in "uniform".

She opened the door, finding some stairs and walked up, opening another door to reviel a dressing room. She smiled slightly, finding a portion of a long mirror with a name tag hanging on it with her name on it. She unfolded the clothes and blinked in shock. Sure, she was used to short skirts, but not this.

The note on it said that it was for a lapdancer. _'Great.. My first day and I get this job...' _she sighed and looked at the top. It was a halter that looked like a bra.. Hell, it was a bra. And a miniskirt came with it, only the sides had several slits in them to show off her hips and leave little to the imagination.

She blushed as she got dressed, glad she had worn a string thong for just such an occasion. She looked at herself in the mirror and blushed. _'What would Inu Yasha say if he saw me now?' _she wondered, a hand to her reflection. She sighed. '_If only dreams came true... but sometimes hope isn't enough.' _

She smiled in the mirror, aware that it was fake, and began to try to better cover the circles under her eyes with base. _'Hopefully, it'll be too dark to see them..' _she sighed again, feeling her stomach eating itself. She had gotten used to the hungry feeling in time and now it seemed to be a normal part of life.

With her smile intact, she began to walk down the stairs.. But suddenly, a fresh wave of memories coursed through her mind.

_"Inu Yasha.. What are you going to do with the jewel now?" _

Inu Yasha looked up at Kagome over the fire. Miroku and Sango were asleep, Shippou resting in her sleeping bag off to her side. She was still looking into the fire as if she hadn't even asked. For a moment, he thought he might have imagined it, and kept looking at her. Then, she looked up, the firelight dancing in her eyes as her gaze locked with his.

"Well, Inu Yasha?"

"Keh... Become fully youkai of course.." he mumbled, tearing his gaze away from her and staring into the fire.

She sighed, looking back into the fire as well. "Are you sure? I mean.. Why can't you stay like you are..? I like you as a hanyou..." she mumbled.

"Be quiet, it's what I've always wanted." he replied, though he knew he wouldn't become youkai... He knew he wouldn't want to risk hurting her by turning fully youkai.

"Demo... Inu Yasha..." she began to protest, causing him to look up from the fire at her, the fire's light dancing on his face and in his eyes as well, taking her breath away. "I.. I don't want you to change..."

Inu Yasha's eyes widened for a moment, and he sighed. "I just don't know anymore of what to wish for..."

Kagome smiled, seeing as how he changed his stubborn mind, even if it was just a little bit, and shifted so her head was resting against his shoulder.

That's when Kikyou's shikigami flew by..

That's when....

Kagome yelped as she lost balance and tumbled down the stairs, hitting the door at the bottom of them and sprawling out in the floor in a very unladylike position.

Kiki smirked down at her and offered a hand to help her up. "You okay, kid?" Kagome nodded as she got to her feet, looking at Kiki's outfit that was much of a dominatrix. All leather, high boots, and a whip at her side.

Kagome glanced around. A crowd was at the door.

A crowd of wild men...

Kagome gulped, her heart-beat filling her ears as she prayed for strength. Tsubii opened the doors and the crowd poured in. Kiki nudged Kagome in the side and struck a pose. Kagome stared for a few moments before striking her own pose to the guys and winking along with the girls. Guys filled the bar seats and tables.

Irish beer was served! It seems this place was famous for Irish beer! Kagome looked longingly towards the beer. She had never drank before, but she figured that after this night, she'd need it.

The first of the girls began pole dancing. Kimpatsu twirled on the pole, pressing her breasts up against it as she began to unhook her bra. Kagome blinked, trying to pick up some tips by watching, until Kiki nudged her towards someone waving money and looking at her. Kagome eeped, and looked back at Kiki.

"Go! Give him the lap dance, dammit!" Kiki said, pushing her more towards the man. Kagome sighed, seeing that he -was- attractive... But she just didn't like the look in his eyes.

"But.. But..." she began, trying to hold her ground as she was shoved by Kiki. Tsubii looked over, seeing the fear in Kagome's eyes and intervened. She hopped over to Kiki and Kagome and smirked.

"Why not let someone else have this one, Kiki? I see just the guy for Kagome to start on." she said with a smirk, pointing towards a corner. They all followed her gaze, looking to see a guy sitting in a dark corner, a bored expression on his face as he seemed to try to distance himself from everyone.

"But he's not even paying attention..." Kagome stated, yet she couldn't take her eyes off the man. Their was something about him... He seemed familiar, yet she couldn't place who he was in the dark.

"Go tell him he gets a lap dance!" Kiki and Tsubii said in unison, shoving her in his direction. Kiki and Tsubii were the managers of the club.. They owned it and worked there.

Kagome began to walk towards him, taking a sip of an Irish beer off of the bartop first. She felt that she needed it. Then, she continued, her eyes never leaving his silhouette. She suddenly felt a hand creep under her skirt and grab her bare ass cheek. She froze in place, memories flying through her mind.

_Kagome lay on top of Miroku, mumbling in pain. He had just closed his kazanna in the brink of time; one second later and she would've been sucked in too! She sat up when Inuyasha called her an idiot for doing something like that. "He's not a bad person, Inuyasha! He could've sucked in everyone if he wanted to, but he seals his hand because he doesn't want to hurt humans!" she argued, not noticing Miroku's eyebrow twitching. _

Next thing she knew, his hand was caressing her backside, and her eyes went as wide as saucers. "Kyaaa!" she cried out as she jumped back, scooting back to Inuyasha's arms with tears in her eyes.

"I was wrong! Kill him!"

The memory faded and tears almost came to her eyes as she spun around, almost certain she'd see Miroku standing right there. "Miroku-sa..ma..." she trailed off as she was only greeted with a drooling pervert. "Hentai!" she yelped, her hand connecting with the side of his face.

She stomped off in anger.. Or.. Tried to, but only found herself face to face with two burly men that seemed to be friends with the man she just slapped. "Uhh..." she began to back away. _'Oh man, oh man.. This is a dangerous job!' _she frantically thought, wondering if she'd be able to do this.

One cracked his knuckles. "What're ya goin' around hitting people like that for, girl?! It ain't very lady-like.." He took a step forward and Kagome took a step back.

_'Help.. Someone..'_

"Ya, it sure ain't.." the second one agreed, also advancing. Kagome gulped and was faintly aware of Tsubii motioning to the bouncers to help.

_'Help me.. Inu...Yasha...' _her mind pleaded. She saw the shadows move from the corner, and knew that the man she was going to give a lap dance to was coming over. She couldn't see him over the two men though.

"We should teach her some manners." the first one said with a laugh.

"Help..." she whispered, yet it was lost in the sounds of music pouring from the speakers.

"Yeah, we should..." the second one chorused.

"Help me... Inu Y asha..." she whispered again, taking another step back. The bouncers were coming, yet she knew they couldn't reach her in time.

The first one grabbed her arm roughly. She let out a yelp in surprise as the second one cupped her ass.

A tear ran down her cheek and she screamed at the top of her lungs...

"Kyaaahhh! Inu Yasha! INU YASHA!!"

She shut her eyes tight, but was suddenly aware of being wrenched from the man's hold and in a pair of new arms...

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**A/N: As much as I'd love to continue, I find that this is a nice place to end.. At least until I decide what kind of story to make this... . Review, shimatta! REVIEW!**

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	3. The mystery man, Agent Smith

**Disclaimer: walks in wearing nothing but Inuyasha's haori, much like Kagome did in the Peach Man episodes Hahahaha! I told you he loved me!! O.o;; thinks to herself 'heh heh heh, they may think I'm his mate now, but I really stole it from him in the night. I don't own him though... He is his own person... But he owns me! **

A/N: Tired of the poems yet? . ;; Too bad, because I'm not. I've got enough poems to be satisfied for a while.. Remember think of them all from Kagome's POV, because they fit this situation.. I'll try to make them shorter.

**12/15/04: Revisions: same as the other chapters.. The poem and minor content.

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_A soft whimper escapes my lips like it should... _

Pain flowing through me,

I leave this lonely world for good,

A cruel world full of lonely pretenders

All those people are just like me,

All the deaths for the same reason as mine..

As I lay back, the world goes black, and I can barely see..

But my last thoughts are on the pretend love you had for me...

Kagome opened her eyes slowly, finding herself clinging to the oddly familiar man who had saved her. She glanced over his shoulder, his black hair flowing behind him. She saw the men on the ground in pain.

But that wasn't what had her wide-eyed...

It was that this man seemed so familiar.. His arms, his well toned chest, his hair...

One word came to mind...

"Inu..Yasha.." she whispered, yet it was enough for him to look down at her.

The man looked exactly like his human form, she was sure of it! His violet eyes gave him away! Then she knew it was him.. because it was a new moon! Tears formed in her eyes and she tightened her grip, yet he de-tangled himself from her and stepped in front of her, producing a badge.

"FBI! You're under arrest!" he called out to the men on the ground. Kagome barely heard the words though, for her own thoughts were spinning so fast in her head. She was barely aware when the man handcuffed the thugs and Tsubii came over to put a comforting arm around her shoulder and wave a hand in front of her face. Her eyes still remained fixed on the man's back.. Memorizing the image of the man she lost months ago.

"Inu..Yasha..." she whispered, her eyes still glassy as she watched him walk over.

For the brief moment their eyes locked, she saw recognition flash across his face, soon to be covered up by a scowl. He crossed his arms, his eyes wandering over her as if to check for injury. "Keh..You okay, miss?" His voice was still gruff, yet it held a softness to it.

"Inu...Yasha..." she whispered again, her vision blurring with unshed tears as she lunged into his chest, crying. "Inu Yasha! I thought I'd never... see you again.." she sobbed. People around them stared wide-eyed and the man she was clung to, looked down in surprise. For a moment, it looked like he would wrap his arms around her, his eyes looking soft, but then he grasped her forearms and pried her off.

"Keh! I'm not who you think I am... I go by the name Smith... Agent Smith.." He produced his badge under her nose and she glanced down, Tsubii and Kiki glancing over her shoulder.

"Oh... gomen nasai..." Kagome muttered, her knees beginning to wobble as the last of her strength vanished.

"He's the real thing.." Tsubii muttered, looking at the badge, Kiki nodding. Kagome could do nothing but stare up at the Agent Smith guy, her heart sinking and a tear slowly running down her cheek.

_'It's him, I know it's him... But... Have I gone insane?!' _she thought as everything blurred from the tears and she dropped to her knees, her hands clutching at the floor below her._ 'Why me..?'_

Agent Smith bent down to her level, grasping her chin gently in his hand and tiling her head up to look at him. "Are you.. Okay..?" he asked again, his violet eyes meeting her wet, hazel ones.

_'Okay...?'_

"I'm..." Another tear ran down her cheek as she searched his eyes, still seeing the man she loved.

_'Okay?'_

"I'm... fi..." A slow smile curved on her lips as she looked up at him with emotionally pained eyes.

_'Okay?!'_

"No.. I'm not okay..." And with that said, everything went black...

_Darkness... _

She was surrounded by it. It was such a thick and cold, uncaring darkness that it threatened to smother her to death. Kagome looked around frantically, looking for some source of light to help her find her way from the dark. She reached out, yet couldn't see her hand... It was like she was out of her body, just floating along...

She began to run, though it seemed like she wasn't going anywhere...

Darkness... It was everywhere...

She cried out... Cried out for someone to come to her aid...

She called out his name... The one person that always seemed to protect her... She called out for him in the darkness..

Yet, no sound came out.. The darkness swallowed the sound greedily, wrapping itself around her; enveloping her in its cold embrace.

She ran faster.

Soon, she saw a faint light in front of her. By now, she was shaking uncontrollably, tears dripping from her cheeks. She smiled as she saw the light, hope going through her as she ran as fast as her tired legs would carry her. She literally hurled herself through the light..

Only to stumble into a clearing...

"No.." she whispered hoarsely, looking out at the scene before her. She saw Inu-Yasha and herself...

With Kikyou..

Kagome looked to herself... She was watching the scene she had tried so hard to block from her mind..

She saw herself standing in front of Inu Yasha and Kikyou, her hands up as if to grasp Inu Yasha's arm and cry. Her liquid brown eyes were locked with his soft, golden ones. Kagome took a few steps forward to the scene, standing right beside herself. She reached out to touch her, but her hand went right through. Kagome pulled her hand back as if it had been burnt, feeling like a ghost.

"...I'm sorry, Kagome..." Inu Yasha's words drifted to her ears and she slowly turned her head to look at him. He looked so real.. His eyes were soft and full of regret and his ears were lowered like that of a puppy being scolded.

The soft breeze that swept through the clearing caused everyone's clothes to sweep to the side. Inu Yasha's haori sleeves billowed to the side, his long, silver hair flowing like a curtain that was trying to obscure her view of the Ice Bitch from Hell behind him.

Her eyes watered and her knees wobbled as she looked up at the man she had fallen in love with. 'No.. I wanted to forget!' her mind thought desperately, 'I wanted to forget it all!'

"S-sorry..?" she looked over to herself. The dream version of herself was now holding her arms across her chest, fighting back tears as she shook with sobs. "Inu Yasha... What do y-you have to be s-s-orry for?"

'For breaking your heart..' Kagome thought bitterly as she looked past Inu Yasha to the undead bitch who caused all her suffering.

Kikyou...

Kikyou stood there with a confident smirk on her face– as if she had just single handedly defeated Naraku. Her bow was gripped in her hand, the tip resting on the ground and her quiver of arrows resting on her left shoulder. She miko kimono and long hair flowed much like Inu Yasha's clothing and her pale complection showed up quite nicely against the darkness of the forest.

Kagome felt hatred for that woman.. She hated herself for it, but since all this had happened, her once pure heart was tainted. If she got the chance to go back in time to this very moment, she would have pulled out an arrow and shot Kikyou...

Part of Kagome hated herself for that bitter thought.. The miko part of her... But the regular teenage girl part cheered on the hatred for the woman that had stolen the only man she had ever truly loved.

But then again... since Kikyou -was- her in a past life... She hated herself...

A smirk curved at the corners of Kagome's mouth as a solemn tear ran down her cheek. She -did- hate herself...

"For breaking the promise that I'd always be there to protect you...." Inu Yasha's voice broke into her thoughts, answering her dream self's question. His voice was so thick with emotion that he was trying to keep back, that it made her legs give way, causing her to drop to the ground, watching the scene from a vulnerable position on the hard ground.

A tear slipped down her dream self's cheek and she looked up at Inu Yasha with an emotionally pained smile. "Is this what will make you happy?" Her voice came out stronger than she felt.

Inu Yasha nodded shortly. "It's not really a matter of that.. It's that I need to repay this debt with my life..."

"But you love her. So, it must make you happy..." Dream Kagome stated, a smile on her face that didn't quite reach her eyes. Kikyou walked up from behind him and clung to his arm, kissing his cheek, and Inu Yasha stiffened slightly, his eyes slowly fixing on the moving clay statue attached to his arm. His eyes fixed back on the dream Kagome's, seeing the tears gleaming in her eyes as her smile slowly widened, full of emotional pain, yet support. "And whatever makes you happy.. Is what I want for you.."

'No, you're wrong.. You didn't want him to..to..' Kagome's thoughts trailed as she watched Inu Yasha's fist clentch and unclentch several times, his eyes refocusing on her dream self.

"I'm sorry, Kagome..Tell the others I said goodbye... and just...try to forget about me.."

'I can't forget...'

"I couldn't do that... You'll always be a major part of my life and I'll always hold your memory in my heart..." Dream Kagome tilted her head slightly, smiling up at him, her eyes still gleaming with unshed tears that were ready to start cascading down her cheeks at any moment.

"Try to... Try to forget how I hurt you... I'm sorry, but this is goodbye..." Inu Yasha took a step forward and hugged her shortly, pulling away at Kikyou's audible growl behind them. Dream Kagome had shook when he hugged her, grasping his haori in her hands like a life-line. When he pulled back, dream Kagome smiled, her eyes closed as she waved, Inu Yasha walking back to Kikyou...

Kikyou opened the pits of hell... and flames licked around the clearing...

'No...'

"Goodbye I-Inu Yasha!" Dream Kagome's voice cracked as she waved. When the pair began to descend into the pits, she turned away and ran as fast as she could through the forest, her hands to her eyes as she sobbed, hitting every low branch and tripping several times as she ran blindly for the well.

'No..'

The scene began to fade around as Kikyou's lips met Inu Yasha's, and Kagome pushed herself up off her knees, running towards them. 'No.. Don't leave me!'

"No!" Kagome jolted up, wincing as her eyes shot open, the light blinding her for a moment. As spots danced in front of her, she wobbled, her hands to her eyes. "Aaahh...The light..."

"Are you okay..?"

She felt a hand on her shoulder, steadying her, and she looked up to find herself looking in soft, violet eyes. 'Inu..... Agent Smith...'

"No.." she softly replied, taking in her surroundings. She was on a table at the bar, all the people cleared out except for Agent Smith, Tsubii, and Kiki. Kiki was leaning against the bartop and Tsubii was sitting in a seat to her side. "What happened to those guys..?"

"I already took them in.. You've been out for a few hours." Agent Smith replied, leaning back in his chair, his hand still on her shoulder.

_'Hours?!'_

"I hope this doesn't effect business... What's with you anyways, kid? First you fall down the stairs, then you flip out on us!" Kiki stated, pushing herself enough off of the bartop to place her hands on her hips.

"You.. Fell down some stairs?" Agent Smith asked, looking her over. "I think I should go take you to a doctor.."

"No! I'm fine!" Kagome shouted out, sitting up further and jumping off of the table, starting for the door... that is, before she realized she was still dressed in her lap dancer "uniform". "Kyahh!" she blushed and turned towards the dressing room. "I gotta get dressed!"

Agent Smith caught her wrist though, pulling her back slightly. "I'll give you a ride home after you get dressed..." Kagome's eye twitched as she spun around, slapping his hand away.

"I don't want it!" she shouted, looking everywhere but his face. He looked exactly like Inu Yasha! _'I must be insane... Now I'm seeing Inu Yasha in guys...' _

She stormed off into the dressing room before he could grab her again, ignoring his protests. She sighed, looking in the mirror as she began to undress. She stopped as she had pulled the skirt off and put her own schoolgirl skirt on, placing a hand to the mirror as she leaned closer.

"Oh my god..." She whispered as she stared off into the shell of herself. Her eyes that were once so full of life and energy were now so sad and dull. Her skin was pale, the rings under her eyes dark against her complection. Her bottom lip would tremble every now and then, and she had gotten so thin....

Her eyes slowly filled with tears and a rueful smirked curved at her lips.

"Her and I are one in the same after all it seems.." she whispered to her reflection, "We're both walking, dead shells... Only I'm just dead on the inside.. And now she's at rest..."

A tear slipped past the barrier of her eye, slowly trailing down her cheek. She watched it move, not making an effort to swipe it away, or the one that followed it. The two tears met and combined, following down her jawline and dripping from her chin. The light reflected in the tear, causing it to sparkle as it fell through the air, splattering on her foot, the material of her sock greedily drinking the tear up.

She pulled her shirt over her head and wiped at her moist cheeks with the back of her sleeve, leaning back against the counter to try to get her emotions in check. She sniffed once, biting her lip as she tried to focus on something other than Inu Yasha, or the fact that a man identical to his human form was sitting outside the door.

_'A few hours...' _She searched the walls for a clock, and when she found one, she gasped. "Oh shit!" she cursed, another trait she picked up after her travels in Senjoku Jidai. "Momma's gonna be angry!"

She flew through the doors of the dressing room, forgetting about the stairs. She yelped as she stumbled, turning slightly to try to keep her balance as she flew down them, her eyes closing as she waited for the inevitable meeting of her face with the ground...

...Only to meet a firm chest and strong arms come to steady her....

Agent Smith...

He had caught her when she fell and her eyes shot open, looking at his chest.

"Keh! You're -not- okay, and I'm taking you home!"

His voice... was like Inu Yasha's... exactly.. like it...

Her shoulders shook and her jaw clentched as she wretched herself from his hold. "I don't need your help getting home! I'm FINE!" She wasn't sure why exactly she was going off at him like that, but all she knew was that he was exactly like Inu Yasha...

And she didn't like that.... She didn't like that she might be going crazy... and that he wasn't her Inu Yasha...

She wanted to get away from him... now!

So she shoved past him, running towards the door. "I'll be back for work tomorrow!" she shouted at Tsubii over her shoulder as she sprinted away. She ran past the alleyway and the flashing neon sign, down the dark sidewalks of the area, and past the gruff looking guys that littered the streets at this hour.

Wouldn't it be nice if we could run from our problems and our past forever? Run from the pain and forget everything except the feeling of the wind rushing past you, tangling in your hair and clothes. No worries, no fears..

Except that you can't run forever and your problems and past will eventually catch up with you...

But... despite that.. She ran through the night as fast as she could...

She half-expected Agent Smith to be following her, yet she didn't see him. She let out a sigh of relief as she walked up the steps of the shrine, going in through the sliding doors.

"Gomen, Mamma... I..." Her eyes widened and her heart skipped a beat as she saw someone familiar standing in front of her, his arms crossed across his chest, and a trademark scowl on his features. If it wasn't for the modern clothes, she would've thought him to be Inu Yasha...

But.. It was Agent Smith...

_'He's gonna blow cover and tell her I work in a strip club! Wait.. How did he know where I lived?!'_

"What are you doing here?!" she hissed at him, stomping closer, yet refusing to look him in the eyes and instead choosing to look at the spot directly behind him.

Her mother chose that moment to walk over. "Oh, Kagome dear... Your friend here told me all about how you were assaulted on the way back from the library study session, so you don't have to worry about being late... That was awfully nice of him to help you out and keep an eye on you afterwards! So, I invited him to stay while his apartment's being renovated!"

* * *

**A/N: There's a nice place to stop.. I hope you like it... it's all...longer than the rest! Review, review, review!! And I'll..umm...give you this..uhh... looks around her desk Oh! This used Chap Stick and a goldfish cracker! O.o;; **

And as for Agent Smith being his reincarnation... No, I'm afraid this isn't one of those.. Too many of those as it is.

Bottom of Form 1


	4. Goshinboku encounter, Gomen!

**Disclaimer: Fine! Inu Yasha doesn't love me and I don't own him! Happy?! .....But I -do- own his ears... **

A/N: Another wonderful update! o.o;; Okay, I love this story.. I love these tragic romance type thingehs... You can just ask anyone who has a class with me.. I'm just sitting there reading these angst romances and wiping the tears from my eyes... O.o;;

As for who Agent Smith is... Well, you'll just have to see, now won't you?!

SPOILER WARNING!!

**12/15/04: The usual revisions.**

* * *

_I hate you! _

You're always in my head,

Thought of you keep me awake at night in bed..

You've hurt me, broken me,

Thoughts of you just never let me be!

I hate you...

After all we've been through,

I still mourn over what you do

I barely slept or ate for weeks,

Now I'm unsure of what my heart seeks...

"... That was awfully nice of him to help you out and keep an eye on you afterwards! So, I invited him to stay while his apartment's being renovated!"

Kagome couldn't sleep... Her mother's voice still rang in her head, and she cursed her mom's hospitality towards others. Her mom had been extra nice ever since she had found Kagome at the bottom of the well, curled in a ball, sobbing.

It was almost daybreak...

Daybreak on a New moon... It was always on a New moon that she found it hard to sleep, even now. She only had half a day of school tomorrow, since it was Saturday, and she was considering skipping both it and work. She was so tired, yet couldn't sleep...

Her past had caught up with her... hadn't it?

She cursed under her breath, feeling so weak at the moment, and shoved the covers of her bedspread off of her. She sat up and placed her feet firmly on the floor, standing up and stretching. It was still dark, but she knew that soon the sunlight would wash over the shrine.

She opened her door as she pulled a robe around her shoulders, her eyes dull and unseeing as she silently padded down the hall, her legs moving on automatic. Agent Smith had taken residence in the guest room beside hers, but she knew just where to step so the old boards wouldn't creak with the added weight. She walked down the stairs and pushed back the sliding door, not bothering to slip on her shoes as she stepped outside, closing the door behind her with a small click.

Small lights glowed dimly around the shrine and surrounding neighborhood, lighting her way to a place she had tried so hard to avoid. Her legs moved on automatic, her head bowed as she bit the inside of her cheek, trying to stop her thoughts...

But no, her past had caught up with her and the memory had broke free at last.

She had relived the pain of a broken heart, and now it felt very fresh to her, and she still had the empty feeling in her chest that she had tried so hard to ignore...

Her heart...

Her heart had left with Inu Yasha, leaving her but an empty shell.

She'd never get it back now.. And she'd be cursed to live the rest of her life, trying to fill the void in her being.

Her eyes widened as her feet stopped, her head raised from the ground to take in her location...

The Goshinboku... The thousand year old, sacred tree...

The tree where she had met Inu Yasha... Five-hundred years ago...

She blinked back the tears, a sad smile curving at her lips as she remembered the first time she met him while he was in suspended animation and felt his ears. She shook her head, trying to ward off the memories as she stepped over the small fence around the tree, stumbling closer to the tree. Her vision blurred with tears as she placed her hands against the smooth spot in the bark where Inu Yasha spent fifty years of his life unjustly pinned to the tree.

She closed her eyes tightly, trying to ward off the tears she knew were sure to come and her hands fisted against the tree, memories flying through her mind.

The memory's voices echoed in her head...

_"I'm telling you! I'm Kagome! KA-GO-ME!" _

"And I'm telling you there's no way you could smell... sniff You're.. not... her..."

"That's what I've been trying to tell you!"

"Keh! Kikyou was cuter... Much cuter..."

A sob erupted from her as she clenched her eyes shut tighter, her hands shaking.

_"Here... It'll cover you up, though it's a bit bloody..." _

"Thank you.. But that doesn't matter.. Because it's -your- blood, Inu Yasha..."

She sniffed and a tear slowly made it's way down her cheek.

_"If I plug the well, you won't be able to go back to that strange era of yours!" _

"No, Inu Yasha! Osuwari, osuwari, osuwari, osuwari, osuwari, osuwari, osuwari, OSUWARI!!"

"Gyaaaah!! slam"

Her knees shook and gave way, letting her fall to the ground, her hands slowly sliding down the bark, but not losing contact with the tree.

_"I know I can't compete with Kikyou.. Because I am alive...But, Kikyou and I are very different... Though, one feeling is the same.. We both wanted to see Inu Yasha again.. And that thought gave me a sense of comfort.." _

"Kagome.."

"But I do ask you something, Inu Yasha.. Can I stay with you?"

"...Will you stay with me..?"

"Hn.."

Another tear joined the first, the two tears circling around each other before joining to drip off her chin down into the dirt. Her shoulders shook uncontrollably as she remembered her silent promise to him that day...

_'I just want to see you smile... I don't want you to die.. But, I promise.. I will be by your side forever...'  
_  
The impact of that promise caused her eyes to snap open, more tears cascading from them.

_'I broke that promise... I made a promise, but I couldn't fulfill it...' _

She drew in a shaky breath as she sun began to come up, her hands falling from the bark of the tree, to clench in the dirt beside the tree.

She closed her eyes, not noticing the sound of a leaf crumbling nearby, a memory playing behind her eyelids as the sunlight began to wash over her..

_"INU YASHA!!" Kagome screamed, running up to his youkai form to try to stop the transformation. Shippou had just freed her from the star, using the Shikon shards she kept around her neck, and she was trying to stop the transformation before his human half was sealed in the mirror forever and he'd only be a mindless killer. _

She lunged for his chest, grasping his haori tightly in her hands as she pressed her head to his chest, listening to the growl rumbling from deep within him. "Inu Yasha! You have to snap out of it! You have to stop transforming!" Tears formed in her eyes as she felt him thrashing, her grip on his haori tightening.

Inu Yasha raised his arms, and she blinked, opening her eyes slightly. His claws quickly dug into her arms, sinking deeply into her flesh. She flinched, a small cry catching in her throat, as she pulled back to look up into his face.

He looked to be in anguish as his head thrashed about, and it tore at her very soul, her eyes watering even more. Crying wouldn't help him! She'd taken an arrow for him earlier that night, and would gladly die trying to save him again. "Inu Yasha.. What can I do to save you..?' She gripped his haori tighter and slowly raised her head to his, her shimmering hazel eyes looking one last time into his crimson ones, before slowly closing.

Her lips met his in a coaxing kiss, and almost instantly he froze. His crimson eyes slowly changed back into soft golden ones. His claws became that of a hanyou's again, and slowly pulled out of her arms. 'Kagome..' he thought as he gently returned the kiss

As they pulled away, both their eyes opened and met. "Inu Yasha.." she whispered breathlessly.

"Kagome!" He cried out her name in a strangled voice, thick with emotion, as his arms encircled her and brought her against his chest, burying his face in her hair....

Harsh sobs racked Kagome's small frame as she mourned her memories. The memories that had tainted her once pure heart and let her know hatred and bloodshed...

...And love..

The memories that were her past. That was -the- past. But she found it hard to put these behind her when they were such a big part of her life.

She clawed at the ground with her fingernails, as if trying to get rid of the pain by molding the dirt in her fists. She clenched and unclenched her hands several times, digging further into the dirt, until she felt her knuckles brush against something.

She opened her eyes, brushing away the dirt to better see what she had come across. She closed her hand over the object and pulled, yanking it out into daylight.

"Oh gods.... Oh gods, why...?" She whispered in a cracked voice.

In her hand was the one thing that connected Inu Yasha and herself more than anything else.

His rosary...

The damned necklace that was capable of making Inu Yasha kiss the ground with one word muttered by Kagome.

"Osuwari.." she whispered softly to herself, clenching the rosary tighter in her hand, feeling a small tooth from the string pricking her palm.

A stick snapped behind her...

"Kagome..?" A voice so familiar called out behind her, and she slowly turned her head, letting her puffy eyes meet his soft violet ones.

Inu Yasha...

No...

Agent Smith..

He was the last person she wanted to see right now...

She wiped her eyes on the back of her sleeves, discreetly placing the rosary in her robe pocket. "What?"

"...Are you okay..?" He softly asked her, stepping over the small fence much like she had earlier. He reached out a hand to place on her shoulder, and she abruptly stood up on wobbling legs, stepped out of reach and wiping the dirt from her hands on her robe.

"Stop asking that..." she mumbled, her gaze lowered to the ground to avoid looking up at him. Her legs wobbled again, threatening to collapse again, and she reached out a hand on the side of the Goshinboku to steady herself.

"Well.. Why are you crying then? Do you know what time it is? You have school." He took another step forward and she backed up slightly, her hand brushing up higher on the tree. Her eyes widened as she felt something engraved in the bark, and turned her head to study the markings.

"What? What is it?" Agent Smith walked over behind her, looking over her at the markings that her fingers slowly traced. His eyes widened and something flashed over his face, but he covered it up before Kagome could notice.

"Gomen..." Kagome read the kanji engravings, beginning to shake. She took her bottom lip between her teeth to stop its trembling.

Sorry...

It was a message from Inu Yasha... She knew that now..

Her hand fisted to the side of the bark, her head bowed as she tried to ignore Agent Smith's presence and not cry at the same time...

But he was so close, that she could feel his warmth... And he felt just like Inu Yasha...

Her hand dropped from the tree and slowly crept in her pocket, her eyes still fixed on the carvings, and she began to gently caress the worn, dirty beads of the rosary that belonged to the man she loved.

_'I can't take it anymore...'_ she thought, a slow smile creeping over her face. _'Something's snapping inside me, and I can't take much more of this.. I can't go on as nothing more than a shell...'  
_  
Her knees wobbled and she gasped as she felt them give way. Agent Smith's arms swiftly came up under hers, keeping her from hitting the ground.

"Kagome..?"

She ignored his voice, thinking of how much it sounded like Inu Yasha's. She slowly looked up, looking into his eyes directly this time. She searched them, certain that she saw Inu Yasha._ 'I've gone crazy...' _she thought, her smile slowly widening. _'I've gone crazy and now I think that this is Inu Yasha.. It makes me wonder if this is even real.. Or is it a dream..?' _She slowly reached up and brushed his cheek with her fingertips, twisting a piece of his hair around her finger. _'He feels real though...'  
_  
She let her hand drop from him, slowly standing up straight. "Gomen..." she whispered, though it was uncertain if it was directed at him, or if she were just pondering the word on the tree.

"He's sorry.. Sorry for this.." she whispered, smiling a teary smile up at Agent Smith. "But sorry won't save me.. I'm a dead girl walking..."

"What... are you talking about?" Agent Smith raised an eyebrow, though concern was evident in his eyes.

"You look like him, you know.. Just like him... I'm losing it..." She continued on, a small laugh in her voice as she took a step back from him, the hand in her robe pocket still caressing the rosary. "Heh, he's sorry.. But he's happy.. So I'm happy..." Her smile widened some, but it didn't reach her emotionally pained, liquid brown eyes.

Agent Smith looked a bit taken back. "You need some sleep, girl.." he mumbled, taking a step forward.

"I don't... I'm so tired, but I can't sleep, Inu...err... Agent Smith..." She mumbled, taking another step back, then breaking into a sprint for the house. He followed behind her, grabbing her shoulder with ease and pulling her back against his chest.

"You're going to get some rest.. Lots of it." He growled in her ear, dragging her towards the house.

"Gomen..." She whispered, looking up at him. She was thinking of the engravings this time.

He stopped suddenly and bent down. "Get on my back." he commanded with a soft tone to his gruff voice. She complied, leaning on his back and resting her arms gently over his shoulders.

"Gomen..." she whispered again, resting her chin on her arm as he grabbed the back of her knees and began to walk towards the house.

"Gomen... for the sit commands..."

He opened the sliding door and walked in, closing it behind him and starting to walk up the stairs.

"Gomen.. Inu Yasha..."

He flinched slightly for an unknown reason and continued walking down the hall.

"Gomen.. Inu Yasha... for not being able to save you..." She whispered against his neck.

Agent Smith stopped walking and turned his head to blink over at her. Something flashed in his eyes, but as suddenly as it appeared, it disappeared. She opened her eyes suddenly, looking over and noticing that he had stopped at the bathroom. Sliding from his back, she pushed the door open and began to step inside.

She looked back at Agent Smith, her eyes clouded as she looked up at him, her smile tight. "Gomen... because I wasn't able to compete with the dead, you died, Inu Yasha..."

And with that, she walked in the bathroom, the door clicking softly behind her as she locked it.

Agent Smith stood rooted to the spot, his mouth slightly open in shock, as he stared at the closed door.

Kagome stripped from her clothes, pulling the rosary from her robe pocket and stepping in the shower without sparring a glance to the mirror. She curled up in the back of the bath tub, letting the hot water from the shower wash over her back, as if to clense her. She held the rosary tight in her hands, watching the water droplets wash over the cracked beads, taking the dirt with it. She shook all over, though she had no more tears to cry... She just sat there, letting the hot water pound into her back and her now wet hair stick to her cheeks as she tried to smile, just a little.

Agent Smith leaned against the wall by the door, listening to the sounds of the shower running. He stared off blankly, his expression grim. "Oh gods, Kagome.. What's become of you..?" His hand slowly crept down the collar of his shirt and he fingered the dull golden locket that lost its shine so long ago, though two pictures rested side by side inside, still looking fresh.....

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**A/N: Bah, this was a depressing chapter... Poor, poor Kagome... I promise it'll eventually get happier, but I happen to be very fond of angst stories... The happy WAFF ones with lots of fluff, can't compare to a good ol' tear jerker! Review! O.o;; I better get a review from my friends that read this too! That means you too, Daniel and Bob.. Heather and Mike, too. Reviewing just one chapter isn't enough! o.O ; **


	5. Please Come back, Inu Yasha

* * *

_I see your face when I close my eyes_

_Haunting me forever_

_You're the one that did this to me_

_The one that drove me to this point..._

_The one that made me alone_

_Crying alone,_

_Dying alone.._

_I see your face then... and know I really was alone_

By the time Kagome had taken her shower and gotten dressed, Agent Smith was no where to be found.

"Mamma... Where'd he go?" Kagome asked, blinking as she put down her coke can.

"Oh, Agent Smith? He said he had some business to take care of at work, and that he'd be back later."

"I see.." Kagome mumbled, picking up her school bag and walking to the door. She slipped her shoes on, and called over her shoulder to her mother. "I'm going!"

"Have fun at school, Kagome!" Her mother's faint voice reached her ears as she ran from the shrine, past the well house as fast as her tired legs would carry her. She used to just go down to the well and gaze into its dark depths... Tears falling from her eyes and dropping into the dirt. Though, she faintly wondered if her tears were able to go through time, even though she no longer could.

Wouldn't that be ironic? To have her many tears soak up the dirt in the well, causing Shippou to smell her scent mixed with salt and lead the others to the well... Only hear soft sobs and tear-stained dirt at the well, with no way to help her...

She left her yellow pack in Sengoku Jidai... She was only concerned with making it to the well as fast as she could, and ran blindly through the forest for what seemed like hours before finding the well to take her home.

_'Home...'_

By the time she had crossed times, her legs and arms were bleeding pretty badly. All the times she had tripped caused her knees to bruise and all the low-hanging branches she ran into scratched her arms and legs. Her school uniform had been torn and her socks were stained a faint crimson.

_'Home... Is this home..?'_ She wondered, looking back at the shrine from the top of the steps. At one point, she had called it home, but after she went to Sengoku Jidai...

She had felt that her home was with her friends there...

_'Home was with them.. Sango-chan, Miroku-sama, Shippou-chan, Kaede-baachan... Heck, even Kouga-kun... and Inu Yasha...'_

"I'll never see them again..." She whispered with a shaky voice as she walked down the shrine steps. Then, a thought hit her... Part of her had still been suspicious that Agent Smith was Inu Yasha... but..

Last night was a New moon... and she had been out there when the sun rose... and he was still in human guise...

She sighed as she began walking down the sidewalk, her last hope leaving her. Where was she headed? School?

No way in hell... she was going in the opposite direction, though, she wasn't sure where she was going.

Slowly, she entered a store, finding herself walking aimlessly down the aisles. The place was deserted except for the woman behind the cash register. Kagome looked down the aisle she was walking along, remembering when she had taken Inu Yasha shopping in her time...

_Inu Yasha walked beside Kagome, a hat on his head to cover his fuzzy ears. His arms were shoved in his haori sleeves and a slight scowl on his face, while Kagome was smiling in complete bliss. 'We're just like a couple of lovers walking together!' Then, she blushed at her thoughts. 'Did I really think that!'_

_They had reached the store, and Inu Yasha was looking down the aisles in awe, surprised at all the delicious food he saw lined up. "Ohhh.." His jaw hung open, his eyes wide with amazement. Kagome took a moment to study his expression, giggling softly behind her hand. Then, she looked over, noticing where the ramen was, and grabbed his hand, pulling him in that direction. Inu Yasha glanced down at their joined hands, a blush tinting his cheeks, as he followed._

Kagome looked up from the ground, finding herself at the same mountain of ramen as before. She stared at it blankly for a moment... Then sprinted away from it as if it would bite her. She ran out of the store, ignoring the weird stare the lady behind the counter gave her, and went into the store next to that one.

It was a clothing store.. Only more teenage in style.

She sighed heavily, trying to kill time since she wasn't going to school.. She was going to drop by work after this and ask if she could take the day off.. She knew it wasn't smart to take your second day of work off, but she couldn't help it– she felt really depressed and tired, dammit!

She found herself looking in the back at some all black outfits. Glancing down at her school uniform, she realized that it only served as a reminder of her travels with the Inu-tachi. Smirking, she grabbed some clothes off the rack and went to try them on...

She emerged from the dressing room, satisfied. She took another quick glance at a mirror beside the door to survey her outfit. It consisted a black mini skirt made of a shiny black material with black knee socks and black Chinese slippers to go with it. Her shirt was sleeveless and black with glitter spread over it like stars on a dark night. A long, black jacket was draped over her shoulders, coming to rest at the backs of her knees.

She smirked. She had become so pale and the circles under her eyes so dark, that she could pull off this look. She paid for all the clothes and wore them out of the store, a chain necklace around her neck now– the teenage male behind the counter had given it to her for free to complete her ensemble.

Soon, she found herself at the door of the club, frowning when she heard Agent Smith's voice from inside. The club wasn't even open yet! _'What's -he- doing here!'_ she wondered as she stepped through the door. She blinked as everyone turned to face her, there being two more people with Agent Smith this time.

...A girl and a man that looked just like Miroku and Sango...

Only in modern clothes... Miroku didn't have the ponytail, and Sango's hair wasn't put up... Err.. The people that looked like them that is...

She stared at them for a moment, then shook her head.. Hard.

"Kagome-chan! What're you doing here?" Tsubii asked, looking her over. "Shouldn't you be at school..?"

Kagome walked closer, shaking her head slightly, though she kept glancing over at the people that looked like her friends.

"Kagome... You were supposed to be getting some rest!" Agent Smith grumbled, taking a step towards her. "And.. What's with the get-up?" His eyes traveled over her, taking in the goth look.

"I'm fine.. I just don't feel so great.." She said, looking at a point just past Agent Smith's face. She then turned to Tsubii. "Can I please have the day off..?"

Tsubii nodded. "Hai.. You look terrible anyways, Kagome-chan...Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, we don't want you scaring off the customers..." Kiki stated with a snicker as she twirled around on a bar stool. Kagome glanced over at her, then back to Tsubii, who was directing a glare behind her.

"Yeah, I'm fine, Tsubii... Really..." She said, trying to force her usual fake smile into place. She then turned to Agent Smith. "What're you doing here anyways?" She asked, her tone lacking interest.

"Keh, just asking the usual questions for the paper work... You see, those guys I arrested last night were really wanted criminals from a gang..."

"Wouldn't that be more of police work?" Kiki asked, still twirling around.

"Feh! You didn't lemme finish!"

"The gang rapes their victims to death..." The man that looked like Miroku stated.

Kagome looked on in horror.

"Yeah, so you're lucky I happened to be there, or you would have been in some hot water..." Agent Smith mumbled, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Arigatou..." Kagome softly said, looking at the ground. She felt so tired.. And she just wanted to get out of this place.. This place with the people that looked like her friends... She was going crazy...

_'I'm gonna get put in an institution soon..'_ she thought darkly, looking up at the agents. She eeped and stumbled back when Agent Smith was only a few inches away, looming over her and studying her expression. He caught her arm and blinked.

"That's it, I'm taking you home to get some rest..." he mumbled as he pulled her closer by her arm.

"I don't need it!" she shouted, yanking her arm from his grasp and heading for the door. "I'll be in for work tomorrow, Tsub!" she forced her fake smile a little wider over her shoulder.

"Wait, you!" Agent Smith called after her, yet she walked out the door. She sighed, pulling her backpack strap up a little more on her shoulder and beginning to walk aimlessly again.

As she walked along the deserted alley way that held the strip club, her finger went into her skirt pocket. She had transferred the rosary from her school skirt to her new black one upon purchase. Her fingers caressed the beads, her fingernails going over the cracks, the rosary giving her the only strength she had left to go on.

It came back to her... The moment Inu Yasha got his rosary taken off...

When he had announced to her that he was going with Kikyou to hell.. It was right before that memory she had earlier..

Kagome stumbled slightly as she remembered...

_Inu Yasha had went after Kikyou's shikigami a while ago, leaving Kagome to sit by the fire, waiting. She had decided that she had waited too long and something must have happened to him, so she began to walk along the forest, looking for him._

_She walked through the familiar Forest of Inu Yasha, the first place she had seen when she fist cam to Sengoku Jidai. Fireflies danced about her, crickets chirped in tune, giving her some traveling music. An owl hooted nearby, and not a sound of a youkai was about. But soon, she heard voices and hid behind a tree, watching the scene in front of her..._

_Inu Yasha and Kikyou..._

_Their lips were locked, and as they pulled away to gaze into each other's eyes, Inu Yasha had said he... he loved her..._

_Kagome's heart of glass shattered and tears sprung to her eyes. She has stumbled back, trying to get away before he could smell her tears. 'He's in love with her... I lose. I couldn't compete with someone who died for him...'_

_Naraku had been destroyed. The Shikon no Tama was missing but one shard, which was in their possession... Tonight was the night Kagome was going to purify the jewel completely, so Inu Yasha could make his wish._

_The shards were back in Kaede's village..._

_But Kikyou had interfered with their dreams. With Kagome's dreams. She had destroyed their small group that had stuck by each other through thick and thin by destroying the bond between the first two members._

_Everything happened in a blur of red and white. Inu Yasha had smelled her tears and Kikyou had yelled and threatened until he had told her that he was going to hell with Kikyou and not to shed any tears over him._

_The shards of Kagome's heart were hammered into dust, the proverbial wind picking up dust of her heart and showering it over the lands, where many innocent bystanders looked up at the sparkles floating through the sky in awe, only to have the sharp edges of that dust rain into their eyeballs, blinding them and making their blood run down their cheeks, the grass being stained red and the fields being filled with screams of immense pain and horror!_

_She took off his rosary, she did. Kagome took off his rosary in anger and hurt, removing the last of their ties before she made her break..._

Kagome swaggered in the alley, one hand to her head, the other in her pocket. It wasn't good to have these memories keep popping up. She'd be labeled as mentally unstable soon if it kept up. Though, she knew a world of nothing but white and solitude would only make her worse... She'd probably start thinking that he was there, alive and kicking, insulting her, arguing, picking fights... And she'd throw her arms around his neck, bury her face in the red fabric of his haori, and never let go...

But, maybe having an illusion Inu Yasha would be better than bitter memories of her heart breaking. If only she could see him one more time...

Kagome snapped out of her thoughts when a dark clad man came running up to her. She blinked, expecting him to run by her or something, but instead, he grabbed her off the ground and put her over his shoulder. "Kyah!" She shrieked, before she was lifted up slightly and brought down hard on his shoulder. Stars lit up behind her eyelids as the air rushed from her lungs. "Inu...Yasha..." she whispered as she fell limp on the man's shoulder.

* * *

Agent Smith cursed under his breath as Kagome walked out of the club. What had become of her? Now, she had an all-black thing going for her.. He supposed depression had finally caught up with her.

He slumped back in his chair, taking a sip of Irish beer from the cup Kiki set in front of him.

"She looked horrible.. Did you see the bags under her eyes? Like she hasn't slept in days..."

Agent Smith looked up at the man that resembled Miroku. "She probably hasn't, Bates.." he stated, taking another sip. He could tell it would take a lot of beer to make him feel better. To his side, the girl that looked like Sango mumbled something about the report they were filing and started to ask Tsubii questions, though Agent Smith paid no mind. His concentration was suddenly on a muffled scream that he was sure belonged to Kagome.

...The only thing left in Agent Smith's wake was an overturned chair and an open door.

He ran down the alleyway as fast as he could, keeping to the shadows. Soon, he saw a man with Kagome over his shoulder. Cursing under his breath, he continued to tail the man, trying to catch up. As he rounded a corner, the man suddenly disappeared.

Agent Smith cursed, a little louder this time, and started to search the dead end for some secret escape. Worry washed over him, so he closed his eyes, and slowly pulled his badge out, dropping it to the ground, causing it to glow a faint pink, dimly lighting up the dead end...

* * *

Bound... Bound by ropes of thorn.

Cutting.. Into her skin, yet feeling no pain.

Darkness.. A cold embrace in the vast nothingness.

Memories... Springing out of the shadows...

Kagome saw nothing but darkness, and she was forced to stare off in terror. Ropes of thorn bound her hands and feet, cutting into her delicate ivory flesh, yet she couldn't feel any pain. She knew it was all a nightmare...

One night, she feared she'd be trapped in a never ending nightmare.. Who knows? Maybe she -was- in a nightmare, because of some youkai that was torturing her, therefore enabling her to feel pain... And that sick wet feeling where the roses were digging in was some sort of acid or water...

Nah, not likely.. Inu Yasha would've found a way to cure her by now if that was true...

It almost felt like an invisible hand were keeping her head in place, causing her to stare off into the darkness. She felt so tired, though...

_'Inu Yasha...'_ The name came to her automatically. It always seemed like she was trained to say his name or call for him when she was in a tight spot. Suddenly, an image formed in front of her.. A memory...

_"Inu Yasha!" She cried out, running towards him after he had blocked the well and she had made it back. She lunged and clung to his waist, burying her head in his chest. "I was so worried when you didn't come back to get me.. I thought you.. died.."_

_"Inu Yasha!" Kagome called out from Kirara, jumping off the neko youkai's back to fall back down to where her hanyou protector awaited._

_"Baka!" He shouted, putting his transformed Tetsusaiga into the ground and holding his arms up to catch her. He spun her around once as she landed in his arms, holding her close with a look of annoyance on his face to try to cover the worry. "What were you thinking jumping off like that! You're not luggage!"_

_Kagome only smiled, her feet still off the ground. "I knew you'd catch me, Inu Yasha."_

_"Inu Yasha! Inu Yasha! INU YASHA!" Kagome cried out, struggling against the pentagram star that held her body immobile. She watched in horror as Inu Yasha was slowly being turned into a full youkai, his human side being sealed away in a mirror._

'No...' Kagome thought, watching the memory take place, new tears forming in her eyes.

_When Kagome was freed, she ran to Inu Yasha, clinging to him like a life line. "You have to stop, Inu Yasha.. I like you the way you are. I like you as a hanyou, Inu Yasha!"_

Kagome opened her mouth to scream out as she watched the memories... Anything to break them apart and pull her from this living nightmare...

_"Inu Yasha..." Kagome whispered, smiling, "You came.." Hakudoushi slipped from her arms as she fell backwards, her eyes sliding closed as her body went limp. Inu Yasha called out her name and lunged forward, catching her before she hit the ground._

The memories faded, leaving Kagome to sob in the darkness with a refreshed feeling of emptiness inside her...

* * *

Agent Smith cursed, looking over his work. The man lay in a bloody heap against the wall, and Kagome lay beside him, naked. He had found the trap door in the side of the wall just in time, he decided, bending down and scooping Kagome up, along with a blanket that lay beneath her.

The man had planned on raping hi–... er.. Kagome. The man had seen Kagome naked.

Agent Smith was sure the man would never be able to see clearly again after the beating he got..

Agent Smith cradled her close to him, kicking the unconscious man a few times for good measure. He had tried not to look at her body. He knew that the man hadn't gotten as far as to rape her, but he thought he saw what looked like some bruises coming up on her breasts...

He also knew that if he saw bruises on her here, he would have to kill the man. And he wouldn't like to be charged with murder...

So... He took Kagome back to the club, being sure to keep out of sight, and snuck in the back exit. He snuck in, being sure to be quiet, and opened the next door, finding the stairs that lead to the dressing room. He didn't want anyone to see her like this... He didn't want to have to say she almost got raped or answer their questions.. He wanted to take care of her, not have Tsubii and Kiki take her back her and check her for bruises.

Not that he was going to do any major checking... he was just going to find her some new clothes, since hers were torn.

He took the stairs two at a time and slowly opened the door. A variety of costumes were hanging by racks and stacked up on shelves for the strippers. He laid Kagome out on the counter as he pulled an over-sized T-shirt and the longest skirt he could find... which wouldn't cover much. Agent Smith walked over to her, his gaze resting on her face. She looked so pale... and the dark circles under her eyes showed that she had not slept well in what looked like months. She was thin and looked so vulnerable... She looked as if she had no will to live.

He pulled the shirt over her head, his gaze wandering over her breasts to check them for bruises. A low growl pulled in the back of his throat and his eyes shot golden for a moment, before turning back to the usual dull violet. There was only two small bruises, but it still was enough for him to see red. It was sickening that insane rapists lurked the place. In daylight, for crying out loud!

He finished pulling the shirt over her and pulled on the skirt as well, before picking her up bridal style and sneaking out of the club. He got in his car and placed her in the passenger seat, tilting the seat back a little bit so she wouldn't fall forward. He buckled her up and started the car, taking off for the Higurashi Shrine.

He got there shortly, parking the car close to it. Agent Smith opened up his door and stepped out into the city air, tilting his head towards the sky and sighing. Things were so complicated now... Ever since his badge had first gotten knocked away from him in a fight. He had the nickname of 'youkai' among his fellow officers, but he wasn't sure what happened... It was like memories rushed back and he was suddenly super fueled.

He shook his head slightly to clear his thoughts, walking over to the other side of the car to unbuckle Kagome. He plucked her from the seat, once again holding her bridal style, as he looked down the street, shutting his car door with his foot. The sun was already setting... It seemed the day had flown by. He sighed softly as a flock of birds flew by, careless, with no direction in mind. They were carefree... Not confused like he was. He sometimes wished he could be that free.. Just run as fast as he could, the wind in his hair, a girl on his back...

He mounted the stairs and slipped silently into the house. He didn't see any of her family around, so he was content for the time being. He took her into her room and laid her on her bed gently, then began looking through her closet for something to go over her clothes... So her mom wouldn't get the wrong idea.

As soon as he opened the door, his eyes grew wide. There was a red haori folded inside a plastic bag on the floor. He carefully picked it up, drawn to it, and pulled it from the bag. It looked old– yet familiar. Various blood stains lined it, but it held the strong, sweet scent of the forest. He went over to Kagome with it in hand and draped it over her. She smiled slightly in her sleep, snuggling up to it, and he sat down on her bed beside her.

"Inu...Yasha... Please.. Come back.." She whispered in her sleep, and Agent Smith looked down, his bangs concealing his eyes. He silently put an arm around her shoulders, pulling her up slightly to rest against his chest. Just as the sun finally set, causing darkness to fall over the same shrine, he took out his badge, a faint pink light glowing around him, and put it on her night stand. Slowly, his hair turned silver, his ears moved to fuzzy dogears on his head, and his fingernails grew longer.

Inu Yasha looked up slightly, his golden eyes liquid with unshed tears, and ran his claws gently through Kagome's hair. With a voice thick with emotion, he leaned down to whisper against her ear...

"Shh, It's okay...I'm right here, Kagome..."

* * *

_**A/N: I bet you're thinking Agent Smith was Inu Yasha's reincarnation, ne? Well, not quite that. The explaining will come next chapter, promise!**_


	6. What happened in the past

Disclaimer: I don't own Inu Yasha or Kagome, though I do own Agent Smith, Tsubii, all the strippers, and Kiki.  
  
A/N: I'm so sorry, minna-chan! My laptop crashed, you see, so the chapter I was working on was lost! I just got my laptop back up a few days ago... I had to get a whole new hard drive!   
  
Agent Smith's past shall be revealed now! (Oh, and I promise to update A LOT more, since it's summer!)

.......................................  
  
_Look behind and see how we used to be,  
  
Look at us now, and maybe you'll see,  
  
That if you look at the future, you won't find me.  
_

.........................................

Kagome sobbed in the darkness of the nightmare, struggling weakly to free her wrists. 'Why is this happening..? Have I finally snapped?' She tried to wipe her cheeks on her shoulder, only to find it bare. 'N-nani?! Now I'm naked!' A few more tears flowed down her cheeks and she began to choke on her tears.   
  
Then, an image began to materialize before her. It was light that pierced the darkness. Kagome looked up from her misery to watch the image, even though she knew it would just be something else to destroy her emotionally. The light took on the form of Inu Yasha's hanyou state, his silver hair billowing around him with a mystic air. He looked sad and serious, with pain filled eyes.   
  
The dream Inu Yasha bent down to her level and lifted a claw to her cheek, wiping a tear away. "Gomen nasai.." he whispered.   
  
'A...a ghost?!' she wondered, her eyes widening. 'No.. He's in hell with Kikyou, not visiting me! This is just a trick from my sleep-deprived, mentally unstable mind!'  
  
"Inu Yasha..." She whispered, gazing into his eyes. She knew it wasn't real, but she could still find a small relief from the despair in her dreams. He took his haori off and wrapped it around her shoulders, his hands going down to the thorn ropes around her wrists. He cut the thorn rope from her with his claw, and she stretched her arm around automatically to lift to his cheek.  
  
She'd had so many of these dreams in the past- where he felt so real and she swore she could smell his scent on the haori.. Which is why she kept his haori wrapped in a plastic bag. As the dream Inu Yasha began to pull away and fade, she reached forward, gasping and choking on a sob.   
  
"Inu Yasha.. Please.. Come back..." She pleaded weakly, surprised when his image seemed to stop. She lunged forward and clung to his chest, tears running down her cheeks as she heard, "Shh, it's okay... I'm right here, Kagome..." It sounded like he was right there, right in her ear.   
  
Kagome clung tighter, the tears coming more rapidly. "Please don't go away again... Don't be dead.. I love you.."   
  
"...Open your eyes, Kagome."

......................................................

Agent Smith, now Inu Yasha, held Kagome tighter as he noticed she was crying in her sleep. He wiped the tears away, his own eyes watering at the sight. 'I screwed up so badly back then... I hurt Kagome so much...Will she forgive me?' He blinked and snapped from his thoughts as her hand clenched in his shirt.   
  
"Please don't go away again.. Don't be dead. I love you.." He heard her weak mumble as she sniffed, and stiffened. He glanced over at his badge, which was glowing faintly, and then back down at the girl in his arms.   
  
'Should I pick up the badge and become Agent Smith again..? Or should I stay as the man she loves and confess everything..?' He pulled her over, more into his lap. 'She said she loves me.. Of course she does.. She wouldn't have been that upset if she hadn't... But she.. still does.. even after what I did..?'  
  
"...Open your eyes, Kagome." he whispered against her ear. "Open your eyes, so I can make up for everything..."  
  
He was rewarded with a weak groan as she began to slowly open her puffy eyes, blinking as she tried to focus on him. Inu Yasha's eyes were brimmed with tears as he cradled her in his arms, trying to force a small smile on his face.   
  
"Inu Yasha..." Kagome blinked. 'A dream inside a dream? How weird..' She then noticed the glowing on her nightstand. 'A..shikon... No, wait..' Her eyes went wide and she snapped at attention. 'It's a huge chunk of the Shikon no Tama! Almost a third of it!' She glanced back at Inu Yasha. "A-agent Smith...?"  
  
Inu Yasha shrugged, purposely twitching his ears. "Kind of. But.. Kagome, it's me.. Inu Yasha."   
  
Kagome's jaw dropped slightly, her eyes brimming with tears. "Another dream?" she whispered. "But.. In my dreams, I've never seen a shikon shard like that.."   
  
"I can explain everything..." Inu Yasha began, running his hand along her back, before pulling the haori closer around her. "But.. This is no dream."  
  
Kagome was stunned.. She felt like she was about to faint, but tried her best to hold on. She must have imagined seeing him again a thousand times; daydreamed of it, dreamed of it., had nightmares of it... But now, she had forgotten just what she had planned to do.   
  
Instead, she did the first thing that came to mind...   
  
She clung to him for dear life, sobbing. "Don't leave me again! Please..!"  
  
Inu Yasha wrapped his arms around her, running his claws gently through her hair. "I'm here and I won't.. I promise." Kagome sniffed again and nodded, pulling back enough to reach out and gently tweak his ear. He tilted his head slightly towards her hand, instead of pulling away like he normally would. She looked into his eyes, then let her hand to fall from his ear to turn on her lamp beside her bed.   
  
She blinked as light illuminated her room, looking over him to make sure it was really him. She reached for his ear again, feeling it flick against her fingers. "This is real.. This is really you.." She took in a shaky breath, trying to put off the questions running through her mind. She didn't want to bring up what had happened in Sengoku Jidai with Kikyou, yet she knew she'd have to mention it soon. "I.. I've missed you so much, Inu Yasha... I.. I..." her lip quivered and a tear ran down her cheek again as she fought to keep her composure. "I lo-...lo-..." Kagome choked on the words as she sobbed, afraid of the real rejection. 'He left me for Kikyou... He wouldn't return those three little words.'  
  
Inu Yasha stroked her hair, pulling her head against his chest as he buried his face in her hair. "Let me explain, Kagome..." He took in a deep breath. "I'll.. start from the beginning.."

...............................

500 Years Ago...   
  
_ "As you know, I had went after Kikyou's shikigami again... We had met up in the clearing that you stumbled upon..."   
_  
Inu Yasha ran after the shikigami, going through the forest at top speeds. 'Kikyou.. Why must you still roam this plane in that form?!' He bursted into a clearing, where Kikyou sat in a tree, one of her soul snatcher shikigami on her finger. She watched him with hardened eyes, before dropping down from the tree to approach him.  
  
"Inu Yasha.. The Shikon no Tama has been completed and Naraku is no more.. My death has been avenged. What shall you do now?"  
  
Inu Yasha stiffened as she advanced until she was within an arm's length. "Find out what to use it for to purify it, I suppose. Probably become a full youkai."  
  
Kikyou laughed, long and confidently. "Baka! You think a wish like that would purify it? No, it would still exist in this world." She smirked and took another step towards him, placing an arm around his neck. "But... Have you forgotten your promise? You said if I wished, you would go to hell with me."  
  
_"She did her usual hell speech..." _  
  
Inu Yasha stiffened. "I..I won't. Kikyou, you should just go to hell without me. I have avenged your death– can't you be satisfied with that?"  
  
Kikyou let her exhaled breath out in a hiss between her teeth. "No.. You promised me. And you promised to always protect me.. Have you forgotten?"  
  
Inu Yasha clenched his jaw. "I haven't forgotten... But without Naraku, there is no one to protect you from. If you went to hell anyways, then you wouldn't have to have me protect you from anything.. I can't go with you.. I promised to protect Kagome.."  
  
Kikyou's grip tightened on his haori as she leaned forward. "Fool, that carbon copy doesn't belong in this era! She has her own to live in. Now that the Shikon no Tama was been completed, her duties here are nark!" She leaned closer, so her lips gently brushed his. "It's time... Who do you love, Inu Yasha? My carbon copy, the girl that slowly healed your heart, or the original, the one you promised forever to?"  
  
"...I love you." And with that, Kikyou pressed her lips to his. At this time, Kagome had started to cry and began to back away from the bushes. Kikyou rested her chin on Inu Yasha's shoulder and looked over, right at Kagome. As they locked eyes, Kikyou smirked a purely maniacal smirk, proving that she had known exactly where Kagome had been all along.  
  
_ "It's true that I said those words to Kikyou... But I just wanted Kikyou to have peace without malice." _  
  
Kagome had stumbled when she was trying to back away and snapped a stick. That caused Inu Yasha to turn around fast, and call out to her, "Kagome!"  
  
Kagome slowly stood up to expose herself, and stepped over the bushes, closer to Inu Yasha and Kikyou. Her hands were outstretched slightly, as if to grab onto him, and her liquid, chocolate eyes were locked with his. He distangled Kikyou from him, then stepped slightly in front of her, towards Kagome.  
  
"You were watching, hn?...I'm sorry, Kagome..." Inu Yasha's eyes were soft and full of regret and his ears were lowered like that of a puppy being scolded. The soft breeze that swept through the clearing caused everyone's clothes to sweep to the side. Inu Yasha's haori sleeves billowed to the side, his long, silver hair flowing like a curtain that was trying to obscure Kagome's view of the Ice Bitch from Hell behind him.  
  
"S-sorry..?" Kagome was now holding her arms across her chest, fighting back tears as she shook with sobs. "Inu Yasha... What do y-you have to be s-s-orry for?"  
  
Kikyou stood there with a confident smirk on her face– as if she had just single handedly defeated Naraku. Her bow was gripped in her hand, the tip resting on the ground and her quiver of arrows resting on her left shoulder. She miko kimono and long hair flowed much like Inu Yasha's clothing and her pale complection showed up quite nicely against the darkness of the forest.  
  
"For breaking the promise that I'd always be there to protect you...." Inu Yasha's voice was thick with emotion that he was trying to keep back.  
  
A tear slipped down Kagome's cheek and she looked up at Inu Yasha with an emotionally pained smile. "Is this what will make you happy?" Her voice came out stronger than she felt.  
  
Inu Yasha nodded shortly. "It's not really a matter of that.. It's that I need to repay this debt with my life..."  
  
"But you love her. So, it must make you happy..." Kagome stated, a smile on her face that didn't quite reach her eyes. Kikyou walked up from behind him and clung to his arm, kissing his cheek, and Inu Yasha stiffened slightly, his eyes slowly fixing on the moving clay statue attached to his arm. His eyes fixed back on Kagome's, seeing the tears gleaming in her eyes as her smile slowly widened, full of emotional pain, yet support. "And whatever makes you happy.. Is what I want for you.."  
  
Inu Yasha's fist clentch and unclentch several times, his eyes refocusing on Kagome. "I'm sorry, Kagome..Tell the others I said goodbye... and just...try to forget about me.."   
  
"I couldn't do that... You'll always be a major part of my life and I'll always hold your memory in my heart..." Kagome tilted her head slightly, smiling up at him, her eyes still gleaming with unshed tears that were ready to start cascading down her cheeks at any moment.  
  
"Try to... Try to forget how I hurt you... I'm sorry, but this is goodbye..." Inu Yasha took a step forward and hugged her shortly, pulling away at Kikyou's audible growl behind them. Kagome had taken off his rosary when he hugged her. Inu Yasha took off his haori and handed it to her. "Well.. It's a bit bloody from the last battle.. But your gramps likes those legends... And it's made of hair from the fire rat, after all.."   
  
When he pulled back, Kagome smiled, her eyes closed as she waved, Inu Yasha walking back to Kikyou..."You're free from me.." Kagome whispered, opening her eyes slightly to look at the worn rosary in her hands.  
  
Kikyou opened the pits of hell... and flames licked around the clearing...  
  
"Goodbye I-Inu Yasha!" Kagome's voice cracked as she waved. When the pair began to descend into the pits, she turned away and ran as fast as she could through the forest, her hands to her eyes as she sobbed, hitting every low branch and tripping several times as she ran blindly for the well. She was sure to hurl the rosary at the Goshinboku on her way.  
  
As Kikyou's lips met Inu Yasha's, he reached up to grab her shoulders, pulling her back enough to look into her eyes. "I'm sorry..." and with that, he shoved her back into the pits and ran after Kagome..

..................................

"N-nani?! You went back after me?!" Kagome pulled away from Inu Yasha's chest to look at him.   
  
"Hai.. I did. But you had already sealed the well behind you, so I couldn't get through.." Inu Yasha stroked her cheek gently. "I wanted Kikyou to go on to the other life... But I didn't want to have to destroy her clay body..."  
  
"So if I hadn't sealed the well..." Kagome started, her eyes watering all over again.  
  
"No crying. You know I hate it when you cry.." Inu Yasha shook his head slightly. "But I wrote 'gomen' on the tree.. I hoped you'd find it. It was my fault.. Kissing her and confessing my love... I don't blame you at all."  
  
Kagome bit her bottom lip. "Wait... If you're Agent Smith, then why didn't you just tell me who you were in the first place? And what's with the huge shard in your badge?"  
  
Inu Yasha sighed, shifting a bit so he was more comfortable with her on his lap. "I'm getting to that. You see, when you left, there was still the matter of what to do with the Shikon no Tama. Shippou was devestated when he found out you were gone and Miroku and Sango weren't much better. So, we made an non-pure wish in order to come here. Which is why you can see the shard now.. But you can't see it when I have it on. Effect of the wish."  
  
"Oh, so those officers I saw -were- Sango-chan and Miroku-sama.."   
  
Inu Yasha nodded slightly. "Yeah, even though, I've only seen them once in this form."  
  
"Form..?" Kagome tilted her head slightly.  
  
"Hai, we made the wish to come to this time... But that would mess up the time-space-contin-mathingeh.. So when the wish was made, we arrived here as agents. I can't exactly explain why... I know that my badge was knocked away from me as Agent Smith and next thing I knew, I was back to a hanyou... It just felt as if I had just made the wish.. But my badge started glowing, and when I touched it, I was back in the form of a human agent.." He sighed. "My human side only retained a few memories from the past, but just kinda thinks he's losing his mind.. But, taking off the badge always turns me back to hanyou.. So whenever I get a new memory as Agent Smith, I take off the badge. It's usually in a vital time.. Like, finding you just a while ago."  
  
"Oh... So, you don't know about your past that much as Agent Smith..." Kagome stated, looking at the badge. "Wait.. When you found me a while ago?" She looked back to him.   
  
"I don't know.. I remember finding you in my hanyou form, then picking the badge back up. You'd have to ask Agent Smith about that."  
  
"Oh, I see... So, um.. Since it wasn't a pure wish, the Shikon no Tama still exists.. All we have to do is find Sango-chan, Miroku-sama, Kirara, and Shippou and get the rest of the shards to purify it back into it's completed form... Then, we can think of a pure wish to purify it once and for all."  
  
Inu Yasha smiled and pulled her back against his chest yet again, resting his chin atop her head. "What'll we do after that?"   
  
"I don't know.. I don't even know what will do tomorrow... But it's been a long night... And for the first time in so long.. I'm happy." She yawned and snuggled closer to him. "Thank you.. For coming back." She closed her eyes, sighing softly. "I.. I love you...."  
  
Inu Yasha stared off for a moment, before tightening his hold on her slightly. "I love you too, Kagome.."  
  
And with that said, he drifted asleep..

................................................

A/N: Another chapter completed! I have to say, it got a little bit fluffy at the end, but all is not well yet.. I happen to be an author where things are never okay until the very end. But now, the question is, where is Shippou and Kirara? What all has gone on with the modern-day members? What'll the wish be? What'll they do about the missing agents when the shards are purified? And when will Agent Smith get the rest of his memories, so Kagome can cuddle up to him in either form?  
  
Til' Next Time,  
  
Ja na! 


	7. In Your Dearest Memories

**Disclaimer: Keh, if I owned Inu Yasha.. Why would I be wasting my time writing this..?  
  
A/N: Time for another well-deserved update! . I'm glad so many were pleased with the turn of events in the last chapter! Your support really means alot to me in my writing. And I was pleased, myself, with the last chapter. Now, I get to have some fun!  
  
I want to give a special thanks to distorted-desire for pointing out my idiotic error in the last chapter. I had put Shippou was ecstatic.. What the hell?! I don't know what I was thinking, but I went back and corrected my error. Domo Arigatou!**

* * *

_Telling a lie so many times, makes it become the truth...  
  
Memories get made from nothing but air...  
  
And I can't tell what's real and what's not anymore..._

* * *

Inu Yasha shifted slightly, his ears twitching as he heard the sounds of someone entering the house. He slowly moved Kagome over, so she was lying on the bed instead of him, and slowly got up. He stretched slightly, making his way silently to the window, after glancing over at the girl laying on the bed. Kagome had curled up a little more, since her source of warmth was suddenly absent, pulling the haori tighter around her.  
  
Inu Yasha smiled slightly at the sight, before looking out the window, though not seeing anyone. 'Already went in the house while I was looking at her...' he thought, blinking. He crept over to Kagome's bedroom door, and opened it a little bit, sticking his head out to see how far they were in the house. They were still around the living room, he decided, a sniff of air confirming his suspicions that Kagome's family was home.  
  
Sighing, he walked back over to the nightstand beside Kagome's bed, his hand hovering inches about his dimly glowing badge. Before touching it, however, he looked back to Kagome, somewhat sadly, and leaned over, kissing her forehead and pulling her blanket over her. "Gomen nasai...But I'd rather not explain it to your mother tonight..." Kagome whimpered softly in her sleep, and he hesitated for a moment, before turning away and grabbing his badge, walking to the door as the transformation took place. He sent one last glance to Kagome, before his amber eyes darkened to the dull violet of his human form, his claws retracting to normal, human fingernails, and his hair darkening to black, his ears going into his head, to reappear as human ones on the sides of his head.  
  
"Ehhh... How..? Oh yeah, I was tucking her in..." Agent Smith blinked, looking over at Kagome's form, then back down the hall, noticing the sounds. 'Her mom's home.. I better get to my room!' He went further into the hall, but suddenly froze, his eyes going wide, his gaze seeming far away...  
  
_Long, red things billowed to his sides, the wind sweeping through his hair...  
  
'What...are they? Haori sleeves..?'  
  
His tanned, bare feet ran over the rough terrain, the soles of them tough, so that the many rocks and sticks on the forest floor didn't even hurt...  
  
'Where..am I going..?' To his sides hung two legs, both wearing white knee socks and brown dress shoes, though they looked a little weathered from travel...  
  
'Someone's on my back.. who..?'  
  
Hands gently clasped his shoulders, fingers brushing over the worn beads of the rosary around his neck that clanked with his every step. He leaped up, bounding off of a tree trunk, to land in a branch of the tree, silently letting his passenger slide from his back to stand beside him, though keeping an arm around her waist to keep her from falling.  
  
'...Who is it..?'  
  
He looked ahead to see a beautiful sunset, the colors looking crisp and vivid from the vantage point on the branch. A half-smile tugged on his lips, causing one fang to slip from the corner of his mouth.  
  
"Inu Yasha... It's..beautiful.."  
  
He turned to the sound of the voice, to look at his companion....  
_  
"Agent Smith... Hello?"  
  
Souta's voice broke into his..memory? Waking dream? He was unsure what to file that one under.. Agent Smith blinked, looking down at the kid. "What are you doing out here?" Souta asked.  
  
"..I thought I heard someone enter the house, so I was checking to see if it was you guys. Goodnight, kid." He patted Souta on the head and began to head to the guest room he was residing in.  
  
"...You look like him, you know."  
  
Agent Smith turned to look at Souta. "..Who?"  
  
Souta continued facing the opposite direction of Agent Smith, looking a little stiff. "The one nee-chan cries over at night.. We found her in the well that day, clutching his haori and sobbing... She wouldn't stop crying for so long.. I was afraid she was going to die..."  
  
Agent Smith stiffened, looking towards Kagome's bedroom door. 'Why should I care about who hurt her..? And yet, I do. I care about what happens to her, and what happened to her.. But why? Why should I..?' He blinked, remembering his 'waking dream', and the haori he was wearing. 'What does it all mean..? That haori looked like the one Kagome had.. Was she the person on my back..?'  
  
"You're silent..." Souta's voice broke into his thoughts again. "Could you really be Inu-Yasha-no-ni-chan...? Are you too ashamed of what you did to reveil yourself?"  
  
Agent Smith's eyes flashed golden for a moment, and he could've sworn he was about to black out, before he blinked it away and shook his head.  
  
_'Salt.. Lots and lots of salt... The air is full of it...'  
  
"Inu Yasha... She's crying again... Why do you have to torture her by always going after Kikyou?"  
  
"Shut up, bouzou..."  
'Her sobbing is tearing at my heart...'  
  
"...Gomen nasai... Kagome.."  
_  
".. I don't know what you're talking about, kid." Agent Smith turned back around, taking a step towards his door.  
  
"I used to think you were my hero!" Souta shouted out, whirling around. Agent Smith spun back around, ready to retort, before he noticed the tears in the young boy's eyes. He blinked again, abit taken back, and then sighed, turning back around.  
  
"You.. have me confused with someone else." he muttered, as he turned to his room, just as Kagome's mother walked up the stairs. As he closed the door behind him, he heard her muffled voice, asking Souta what was wrong, and Souta's reply of just being tired. Agent Smith sighed, climbing up on the bed, lying back and closing his eyes without bothering to take off his clothes.  
  
Souta's voice echoed in head, whispering of how he reminded him of the one that broke Kagome's heart.  
  
_'We found her in the well...'_  
  
His eyes shot open.  
  
'In..? She was IN the well..?'  
  
Agent Smith sat up, glancing around in the darkness. 'Maybe I heard wrong.. I'll ask the kid tomorrow...' he thought, as he shrugged, trying to brush aside the feeling that he was forgetting something. His eyes flashed golden in the darkness for a moment, but he shook his head, letting his eyes slide closed once more and sleep overtake him.  
  
'_....Kagome?'  
  
He blinked, clad in a solid red kimono, his silver hair being blown back by the size of the energy blast coming straight towards him that was fired by Naraku, his ears flattened to his head. 'I can't dodge.. It's too strong.. too big...'  
  
'The final battle...'  
  
Screams came from his friends, all of them calling out his name, though the voice he made out the most was that of Kagome's.  
  
"N...nani..?"  
  
He turned his head, his friend's screams turning to calls for the raven-haired girl to stop, as she ran out to him, crying out his name. Everything faded to black, except for the black energy blast coming towards him, and the girl from the future running towards him, her bow clutched in one hand, the other out-stretched. Time slowed down, as his golden eyes widened in fear, his mouth opening to scream.  
  
"Get back, FOOL!"  
  
Kagome defied him, hurling herself into his side, clutching on for dear life with her out-stretched hand, her other hand holding her bow out in front of her. His arm automatically went around her waist, holding her close to his side, the one thought going through his head being, 'Oh gods, that idiot's going to die.. As am I..'  
  
"NO!" Kagome cried out, her back arching, as her head flew slightly back, her eyes fading to the solid hazel color of her iris, as a pink light emitted from her body, covering the pair. Inu Yasha winced, narrowing his eyes against the light, his grip on her tightening.  
  
'Her miko powers are incredible...'  
  
The pink light shoved the black orb back at Naraku and his minions, with twice the force, as the pink light circled around the orb, obliterating them into nothingness.  
  
"KAGOME!"  
_  
".....KAGOME!"  
  
Agent Smith blinked, a hand to his chest, sweat cascading down his brow. He panted, clutching at his heart, in a futile attempt to make his heart-rate return to normal. He glanced over at the nearby window, finding rays of light coming from it, the distant cherping of birds confirming that it was morning. He took in slow and deep gulp of air greedily, letting them out in a sigh. "It.. it felt so real.. A red haori.. dogears... silver hair.. I had them.. Why?"  
  
His hand suddenly went to his head, and he winced, closing his eyes in pain. "Itai... my head.. is pounding.."  
  
The door flew open suddenly, Souta standing in the doorway. "Are you okay, Inu-Yasha-no-ni... I mean.. Agent Smith?" Agent Smith slowly opened his eyes, giving Souta a dry look.  
  
"I'm fine, kid. But I have some things to ask you, so come over here." Souta climbed up on the bed, blinking some.  
  
"Nani?"  
  
Agent Smith sighed, racking a hand through his dark hair. "Okay, last night you said.. 'in the well', ne? IN it?"  
  
Souta nodded slightly. "Ne.. Nee-chan used the well to travel back to a time where youkai existed... We found her in the bottom of the well, sobbing, with his haori around her."  
  
Agent Smith let this sink in for a moment before narrowing his eyes. "Youkai..? Do you take me for a fool?"  
  
"I'm serious. Nee-chan can use purifiying arrows.. And Inu-Yasha-no-ni-chan used a huge sword called the Tetsusaiga." Souta tilted his head slightly to the side, studying Agent Smith's face.  
  
"You keep on bringing up this Inu Yasha guy.. He and Kagome were close, huh.. Lovers?"  
  
"Jealous?" Souta smirked, deciding to play around with him. "They were deeply in love."  
"And he hurt her?" Agent Smith inquired.  
  
"She refuses to talk of it.. She just said he was gone for good and that she would no longer be going through the well.. I'm asuming a youkai killed him.. But you look and sound just like him.. except you're human.. But nee-chan had told me than since he was hanyou, he had a human form.."  
  
"Human..form..? Hanyou..? Do you have a picture of this guy?"  
  
Souta nodded and ran out the door, only to reappear moment later with a couple of photos. He handed them to Agent Smith, once again climbing up on the bed. Agent Smith examined the first one, blinking. In the photo were Kagome and Inu Yasha glaring at each other inside a photo booth. "That one was taken when they were fighting about Inu Yasha coming out into public to look for Kagome without a hat over his ears..." Souta explained.  
  
Agent Smith blinked, studying the twin, white, dogears upon the man's head. 'He does look like me.. Only with the hair and ears different.. and his eyes.. are cat-like..' He pulled out the next photo from under it. In that picture he saw the two looking at the camera in shock. In the next one, Inu Yasha had his clawed hand poised in attack to protect Kagome from the camera, while she had a hand on his arm, looking angry. The last one had her pointing at him, mouth open, while only his legs were shown. "What's happening here?" Agent Smith asked, holding out that photo.  
  
Souta glanced at it, then smiled. "Nee-chan had the ability to subdue Inu-no-ni-chan. The rosary around his neck-" Souta pointed to the worn necklace in the picture, "was what binded them together. Only she could do it."  
  
"That's what she found at that tree outside, though..." Agent Smith muttered, before his breath hitched suddenly and he brought a hand to his head, his eyes wide.  
  
"Daijoubou?" Souta asked, blinking.  
  
_Anger, red eyes, growling...  
  
'Why am I craving human flesh and blood..?'  
_  
"Agent Smith? Daijoubou?!" Souta shook him slightly, only to get a whimper of pain.  
  
_"Inu Yasha..."  
  
'A voice... It sounds like Kagome's..'  
  
"Inu Yasha... Osuwari!"  
_  
  
"A-agent Smith? Mama! Mama! Something's wrong with him!"  
  
Another groan as Agent Smith collapsed off the bed.  
  
_Bright, white light coming from a worn necklace, pulling at his neck... Pulling, pulling, forcing him to kiss the ground..  
  
'What happened?'  
  
No more blood lust, soft golden eyes instead of bloody red...  
  
"What the hell was that for, woman?!"  
  
He lifted his head to see the girl...  
_  
"Inu Yasha!"  
  
Kagome looked at Agent Smith, crouching down in her pajamas and his haori and shaking him.  
  
"Daijoubou?!"  
  
"H-hai..." Agent Smith's head stopped hurting as he looked up at the woman with the tousled, raven hair. "But I'm not..." He broke off. He wasn't so sure that he wasn't Inu Yasha anymore. All these memories...  
  
"Kagome," Agent Smith began, taking hold of her wrist as he got up to bring her to her feet, "let's go for a walk."  
  
"But I'm not dressed-.."  
  
"Just around the shrine."  
  
Together, they left the house and began to walk along the shrine grounds, stopping at the bench underneath the Goshinboku. He pulled the rest of the pictures of Inu Yasha Souta had brought to him from his shirt pocket. Silently, he looked through them, noticing Kagome tense and open her mouth several times. In the pictures were Kagome and Inu Yasha, sometimes a small child with a tail, and one with the whole Sengoku Jidai tachi.  
  
One of Inu Yasha and Kagome eating steak.  
  
One of Inu Yasha playing with Kagome's robust cat, Buyou.  
  
One of Inu Yasha with Kagome over his shoulder, headed for the well house.  
  
One of Inu Yasha in human form, sulking with Kagome by his side...  
  
Agent Smith paused, staring at that one. A human form.. It looked just like him. The dreams- memories.. Was he this Inu Yasha guy?  
  
"... Explain it."  
  
"Huh?" Kagome looked at the picture, then to Agent Smith.  
  
"Did you stalk me or something? How did you get someone that looked identical to me in this pic-" He broke off, his eyes seeming faraway as another memory hit him.  
  
_"I'm sorry, did I wake you?"  
  
His eyes were opened partway and everything was blurry. His head was hot and breathing was tough. He thought he was dying.  
  
"No.. Tell me something.. Why is it that you were crying?"  
  
"Huh.. Oh.. Because I thought.. you were going to.. die.." Her voice shook and the word 'die' came out in a whisper. Her voice sounded like Kagome's.  
  
"You cried tears for me.. No one's ever done that before.." He closed his eyes to avoid looking at the blurry shape. "Would you... lend me your lap?"  
  
"Huh.. Sure." The girl lifted his head up into her lap, smoothed out his hair under his head. "Better?"  
  
"Yes. You.. smell nice..  
  
Kagome."  
_

* * *

**A/N: Another finished chapter.. So sorry it took so long to update! I promise, promise that I won't take so long to update next time! My life just kinda.. twisted, is all.. And I had to adjust. ;  
  
Will Agent Smith find out his past?! What's going on with Sango and Miroku?! Why doesn't Kagome just tear off Agent Smith's badge and screw Inu-chan?!  
  
Find out in the next, exciting chapter of _Broken Hearts Change Nice Girls_! **


	8. Owari nai Yume

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inu Yasha or the song Owari nai Yume. Though, Christmas is once again just around the corner... Oh, Takahashi-sama!**

* * *

_She's drunk on life today,_

_But tonight, she'll cry._

_Even people with the loudest laugh,_

_On the inside, want to die._

Kagome sat on a bar stool in the strip club with Agent Smith, who had suddenly stated that he needed to finish talking with the owners instead of telling Kagome that he had saw her in his 'memory', across from her. The Miroku and Sango look-alikes sat around them, blending in with the various customers inside. Tsubii and Kiki swayed with the rhythm of the fast-paced beat pouring from the speakers, which made it ever harder to talk to them.

"Can't we do this somewhere else?!" Agent Smith called over the music.

"No! We have a business to run! Speaking of which.." Tsubii turned her gaze on Kagome. "You need to get changed. Time for work."

Agent Smith growled, his eyes flashing golden for a moment, before reverting back to their blue-gray.

Miroku- Agent Bates, drooled at the strippers around them, mumbling objections to even having to work. Sango- Agent Holmes, hit him over the head with her notebook, grumbling.

_'I finally went crazy'_, Kagome thought, a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes tugging at her lips, _'I'm seeing things and people that aren't there.. How do I know what's real or not anymore?'_

Ignoring Agent Smith's growl, she changed in the designated room. Part of her didn't want to do this anymore.. After seeing Inu Yasha again and hearing his story. But then again, it could've been a dream. Maybe her whole Sengoku Jidai experience was one, huge dream...

Maybe she was dreaming right now.

Laughing softly, in a crazed manner, Kagome pulled her halter over her head, adjusted the mini-skirt. She looked herself over in the mirror and smiled. Dark rings, bloodshot eyes, sheet-white skin... She was the same Kagome as ever. Maybe she'd go have herself committed after work. Marshmallow walls sounded good right about now...

She shoved the rosary in the pocket of the miniskirt, not wanting to part with it. Was Agent Smith _really _Inu Yasha? He'd think her to be insane if she came right out and asked him. Besides, Inu Yasha said he didn't even know that he was him.. But, that he _did _get memories of the past. Maybe she'd ask about those...

Kagome broke from her thoughts and exited the door, being sure to make it down the stairs. No break-downs from haunting memories so far... Good. Maybe she'd gone past the breaking point of insanity. And maybe she needed to quit thinking about so many damned maybes... As she entered the main area, the agent's gazes turned to her, Miroku.. err.. Agent Bates drooling. Agent Smith blushed, even though he had seen her in her work attire before, though his eyes seemed to turn golden for a moment. She only decided her mind was playing tricks on herself and shrugged it off.

"You look great." Tsubii commented, before glancing around the club. Several other strippers danced on poles and served up drinks. "Hm.. Time to put you up to the test. Pole dancing. Get to it."

Kagome flushed and Agent Smith went pale, unable to stop the growl rumbling in his chest. "N-now?" Kagome squeaked.

"I knew it.. You've never done this before, have you?" Tsubii watched her intently, taking in the quiver in her voice and the blush filling her cheeks.

"O-of course I have."

"Then do it."

"No way." Agent Smith interrupted, narrowing his eyes. "Strip in front of these perverts? Hell no, Kagome!"

"She took the job, it's her decision!" Kiki snapped, crossing her arms.

Agent Smith opened his mouth to protest, but Kagome stopped him by walking to the pole. _'I took this job to forget about him.. But how can I when it seems he's right there? But still.. I've changed since the final battle.. I haven't been strong in so long, but right now, if I am going crazy... I'm.. I'm just going to do this.. To prove that my body is as attractive as Kikyou's..' _She placed her hand on the pole, taking in a breath, and then looking at Inu.. Agent Smith. _'If that wasn't a dream, he didn't really leave me for Kikyou.. But I'm still not convinced that he didn't favor her body..'_ Kagome smiled, fakely, and then removed the rosary from the pocket of her skirt, placing it around her neck so she wouldn't lose it. _'And even if he really isn't Inu Yasha.. or if he doesn't have his memories.. I want him to have feelings for me.. I want Inu Yasha to love me no matter what form he's in..' _

The song switched as a spotlight washed over Kagome on stage, Tsubii's voice coming over the speaker.

"Now preforming is the newest addition to this chain of strip clubs.. Higurashi, Kagome! Get ready, boys, because this not-so-innocent schoolgirl knows what she's doing!"

Kagome sweat-dropped. Tsubii could tell she hadn't done this before, but she would show her just how easy she could abandon her morals.

After all, broken hearts change nice girls.

Owari Nai Yume began to pour from the speakers around her, exciting cheers from many of the customers.

_The city in the georama of the heart,_

_is sparkling with the light of hope._

_The dream that flew up with the wings of an ephemera,_

_is something that we search for._

_The truth is always,_

_hiding in the eyes bluely.._

Kagome spun around the pole once, just fast enough for her short skirt to hitch up, exposing her bare posterior and the fact that she had adorned a black thong. Rocking against the pole in beat with the music, she racked a hand through her hair, down her breasts slowly, and over her hips. Many male cheers erupted at her display, and she winked out into the crowd, then looked directly at Agent Smith. He had a deer-in-the-headlights look to him, which caused her to smirk, burying the pain she felt at seeing him and the other agents looking so much like her friends from the past. Slowly, she brought her hands from her hips, hooked her thumbs under her halter top, and pulled it over her head. More cheers pursued her actions, especially when she flung the garment into the crowd, though her aim was at Agent Smith. Needless to say, it smacked him in the face because of his lack of attention.

_Where shall we go up to?_

_Our future roams around now,_

_and we continue with our journey,_

_the place of eternity, and endless dream._

_I want to chase after it without letting go of this hand..._

_Forever..._

The lyrics struck something inside Kagome, the memory of coming back through the well and grabbing ahold of Inu Yasha's hand as they walked. She wanted to hold it forever.. Heck, she wanted to hold it right now. To have him tell her she didn't have to do this.. That she could go back to being the sweet, innocent schoolgirl, instead of the broken-hearted pole dancer.

And if last night wasn't a dream.. he could do it.. Of course, in front of all these people, he couldn't suddenly become hanyou and grab her. Silently, she prayed it wasn't a dream, and masked her memories with a blown kiss to the crowd of men, some of which were throwing money up to her. She pressed the pole between her breasts, rocking her hips against it some to the beat, pretending to like the feel of cold, hard metal against her skin.

The feeling really made her want to vomit.

_In the ocean in the turquoise-colored heart,_

_the signals of the ship of light can be heard._

_I need to go faster, for this impatient feeling.._

_No words are needed._

_A lie is always,_

_hiding in the words sweetly.._

Kagome tossed her head to throw away the tear from the corner of her eye before it had a chance to snake its way down her cheek. The lyrics "A lie is always hiding in the words sweetly" struck home. A lie.. Was last night a lie? If Inu Yasha really had come, was it because Kikyou rejected him, so he was lying to get her, the carbon copy of his love, as a replacement?

She reached behind her, unhooked the miniskirt and arching her back, pressing her chest more into the pole. The worn beads of the rosary clanked against the pole, the small tooth strung between every five purple beads biting into her tender flesh. She still had the bruises from the assault, but none of the men seemed to really care. She guessed it only added to her life as a stripper in their opinion, or made her look more vulnerable.

As she let the miniskirt slip from her hips and felt the cold air of the club sting her bare rear, Kagome began to wonder just when she began to think Inu Yasha would ever lie to her.

_Let the two of us become one,_

_holding on to the coward waves._

_We continue with our journey,_

_the space between our hug,_

_an endless dream,_

_cutting through the rainbow,_

_heading for the promised light..._

"Let the two of us become one.." she whispered, the sound lost to everyone but her. Love: when two hearts beat as one.. She still loved him, even if he lied, didn't she?

'_Oh gods! Why am I worrying over this all now?! First, I should find out if it was a dream or not! Baka, concentrate on pole dancing..'_ It was then that she realized she was standing on stage in front of numerous males, whom were calling to her and throwing money, and she was clad in a black thong and push-up bra, not to mention the rosary that belonged to her supposedly dead love from five hundred years in the past.

How screwed up was that?

Kagome wasn't sure what to do next, but she didn't want to be up there naked. Part of her didn't even remember why she had decided to pole dance in the first place. To defy Agent Smith? To make him love her?

That was even more screwed up..

_Where shall we go up to?_

_Our future roams around now_

_and we continue with our journey,_

_the place of eternity, and endless dream.._

_I want to chase after it without letting go of this hand.._

_Forever..._

An endless dream..

That song was so fitting.. Seeing as Kagome was convinced she was stuck in an endless dream. Her journey had ended months ago with the defeat of Naraku. She was in her rightful time now... She was where she belonged, wasn't she? Of course, the copy of her friends and the man that her heart yearned to have mend shouldn't be here. She should have a normal life, like before, where she could slowly get over him. Get over it all.. As her incarnation had told her so many times before, she didn't belong in that time..

Thankful for the music to be over, Tsubii came over the speakers,"Let's here it for Kagome! Her time's up, but next time, she might show you boys a little more! This time, it was tasteful, to leave you wanting a little more." Tsubii winked at Kagome, who looked relieved.

"Arigatou," Kagome mouthed, before stepping off the stage and making her way over to Agent Smith, unable to find her skirt. He only sulked at her defiance, though he couldn't help but feel as if he were struggling with control of his body the whole time.. It was like something inside him wanted to pluck her off the stage and shield her from the world. Despite his sulking, however, he shed his coat and placed it around his shoulders in hopes to stop the stares from nearby. She only smiled her usual painful smile up at him. It hurt him that she hurt, and he wasn't even sure why.

Miroku and Sango.. err.. Agent Bates and Agent Holmes were now seated at the bar, drinking sake'. Kagome thought there wouldn't be a better time to see if it was a dream.

"Oh, Agent Smith.." She looked up at him sweetly, trying to force cheerfulness into her tone. "Come with me for a moment."

He blinked as she took his hand, not noticing the tears she wiped away with her free one. Holding his hand reminded her of her memories on stage. It was painful..

She lead him to a back room with a chair, for the heavy pole dancing, she had heard Tsubii say once with a laugh. Slowly, Kagome pushed him back into the chair, then climbed into his lap. He stiffened and stammered out, "Wh-what are you doing, Kagome?!"

"Lap dancing. Unless you don't think you can handle it." Never in a million years would she think she would say those words. She rocked her hips against his, wrapping her arms around his neck. His groan made her smirk. Maybe this was just what she needed to get some answers.

"You zoned out when you looked at those pictures of.." She trailed off, not sure how she would comment on Inu Yasha's ears and clothing in the picture. "Inu Yasha and me.. What was that about?"

Agent Smith just shrugged. "Just wondering if he was your ex or somethin'.." Kagome frowned, grinding her hips a little harder against his. She was rewarded with a growl as his head tilted back. "And I've been having these weird waking dreams.."

"Waking dreams?" Kagome muttered, a blush creeping to her cheeks as she felt a response to her lapdance under her. "L-like?"

"Red haori sleeves.. wind in my silver hair.. then, there's bloodlust and a battle.. With you and an orb of light.." Agent Smith groaned again, his head swimming, as he raised his hips slightly.

"Then... It's not," Kagome let a hand trail down from his neck to his chest, tracing a small circle, before prying his badge off. She was rewarded with a small flash of light, as Agent Smith's hair seemed to flow around him, changing from black to silver before her very eyes. His eyes widened, going from violet to amber in less than a second, and his fingernails turned to claws, fangs showing in his slightly ajar mouth. "Owari nai yume.. An endless dream."

Inu Yasha smirked, snaking his arms around his waist, his ears flicking as he listened to her breathing, a sound he had missed. "If it is, I hope I don't wake up."

"I was thinking it was a dream because I woke up alone.. And I was scared.." Kagome muttered, her lap dance stilled. She fingered his badge, noticing the pink glow around it.

"Ii desu, I'm here.."

"Agent Smith's gaining more memories.. How long do you think before you're back to yourself as him? You know.. so you could like.. change between human and hanyou, but still remain the Inu Yasha I lo-.. know." Kagome caught herself, still not feeling comfortable admitting how she felt yet. At least when she was fully awake. Though, she hoped this wasn't just another part of the owari nai yume.

Inu Yasha shrugged and ran his clawed hand along her back, causing her to shudder slightly. The being trapped inside the body of his human form confused him to no end. His memories were surfacing in his human form, however, which brought Inu Yasha to believe that he would soon be the same with or without the badge- the shikon kakera.

"So.. all we have to do is get Sango-chan, Miroku-sama, Shippou-chan, and Kirara together and complete the jewel.. Then, we can make a pure wish on it, ne? And it'll all be okay again?" Kagome tilted her head slightly to the side, before reaching a hand up to tweak Inu Yasha's soft ear for a moment. She had missed the feeling so much..

Inu Yasha leaned closer to give her better access to his ear, suppressing a moan that threatened to escape his lips from the contact. Kagome didn't know how sensitive it was to touch.. "Hai.." he mumbled, wishing it were that simple.

Kagome smiled slightly, then slid off his lap. He covered his disappointment with a blink, looking at her questionably. "Be right back.. Gonna get Miroku-sama and Sango-chan's badges." Inu Yasha nodded in understanding as Kagome disappeared from the room, only to appear moments later with Agent Bates and Holmes in tow. Before they could lay eyes on Inu Yasha's hanyou state, she plucked the badges from them, then smiled at their dazed look.

"K-kagome-chan?" Sango's voice shook, her eyes filling with tears, before she clung on to Kagome for dear life. The last she heard, Kagome had sealed the well.. Gone for good. This meant the jewel's wish had worked! It was amazing!

"Kagome-sama." Miroku smiled, then glanced over at the hanyou, who was in similar clothing to him. "What happened?"

"It seems we're agents in Kagome's time with few memories of Sengoku Jidai." Inu Yasha leaned back in the chair. "Kinda weird.. Like being trapped in a stranger's body."

Sango's eyes went wide as she released Kagome from her death grip, her gaze darting from foreign object to object. "Wow.. the future.." she breathed, astonished.

"You guys.. we have to find Shippou and Kirara, complete the jewel, then purify it." Kagome explained, though she knew the pair's heads were probably reeling.

"Hai." Miroku nodded, his brow scrunched up in thought. "Just have your little brother look for someone who looks like Shippou.. and a cat.. Hm.. A cat that looks like Kirara.."

Kagome sighed. It might be harder than expected to find the two missing team mates.

"Kagome-chan?" Sango's voice broke into her thoughts.

"Hai?"

"I think it's way past due for a girl's moment. We have so much to talk about!" Sango smiled. Kagome couldn't help but smile as well, though her eyes glazed over. She couldn't believe she was seeing her best friend again, much less the perverted houshi, and her hanyou protector that had stolen her heart. Her family. Kagome finally nodded in response, before feeling a pair of eyes heavy on her. It was then she realized her state of undress and the fact that Inu Yasha's- Agent Smith's- coat was loosely draped over her shoulders, barely concealing anything from view.

"Mind explaining?" Miroku asked, an eyebrow raised, as Kagome's face flushed. Sango noticed it for the first time as well, her previous thoughts too overtaken with seeing Kagome again, than on her state of undress.

"Ano... You see.. I'm a stripper now.. A..a.. pole dancer and lap dancer..."

All three of the Inu-tachi's jaws dropped. "NANI?!" Inu Yasha cried out. He'd admit he noticed her in his lap when she took off the badge, and he noticed her state of undress, but he had been too preoccupied with the sensations in his groin to question it.

"Ka-kagome-chan?" Sango squeaked. "You have to tell me what happened! Let's find a hotspring or something of the like."

"No. I have to hear this, too." Inu Yasha growled. Kagome sweat-dropped, placing her hand behind her head and laughing nervously.

"This is only my second day working here.. Besides, it's where I met up with Agent Smith." Shrugging, she turned from Inu Yasha's smoldering glare that had then turned into a faint blush at her comment. Miroku smirked.

"You dog, Inu Yasha."

"It's not like I could help it- I'm not Agent Smith!" Inu Yasha huffed, then sighed. It was more like Agent Smith was Inu Yasha.. Like those complicated Geometry things about a rectangle being a square, but a square not being a rectangle that Kagome would always complain about... Or used to.

"No matter the case, we need to talk, Kagome-chan." Sango stated, looping her arm through Kagome's and pulling her towards the door.

"Matte.. Inu Yasha can't walk out there in that form." Kagome gestured to his ears and hair, only to get a 'Keh!' She untangled her arm from Sango's and crossed over to the chair Inu Yasha occupied, holding up the badge.

"Sure, bring back Agent Smith.. The human agent.." he muttered, causing Kagome to blink at his jealousy.

"Baka.." she whispered, leaning over and pressing her lips gently against his. He stiffened, then relaxed and melted into it, closing his eyes. Kagome's own eyes began to water at the tenderness she had longed for over her depression, but she could not grant herself the happiness of prolonging it, and instead, placed the badge on his shirt. Within moments, he was back to being Agent Smith, and she was standing upright in front of him.

"Well, I'd say my shift is over for the day. Let's go home. I've already invite San-.. Agent Holmes and Agent Bates to have dinner at the shrine."

Agent Smith blinked several times, wondering what happened. One minute, she's on his lap, grinding, the next, she's standing before him. _'I've finally snapped..' _he thought, sighing, then nodding and standing. "Keh, let's go, then."

Sango and Miroku stood there in shock at the transformation, before Kagome glanced at them, sending a look that said _play along. _They both nodded and walked out of the door, only to pause and gawk at the strip club before them. Before Miroku could comment, Kagome stepped in front of the three. "Let me get my clothes from the dressing room real quick.. Stay put."

Agent Smith only scoffed as she disappeared into the dressing room, then reappeared dressed in her school uniform, his coat still around her shoulders, as well as the worn rosary. That irritated him, and he didn't know why. There was just something about that rosary that made him want to take it from her and put it on himself. Souta had told him it could subdue Inu Yasha.. He wondered if it would do the same to him.

Doubtful.

'_It only works on youkai, baka.' _He berated his thoughts, scowling once again. His impending insanity was putting stress on him and making him irritable with himself. And it didn't help that something deep inside him stirred whenever he was near her.. And that she was in his dreams, even his hallucinations during the day. He'd seen her so many times before in his dreams, which was why he felt it necessary to take residence in her house for the time being.

And the locket.. His hand went to his chest as she crossed the club floor, smiling that emotionally pained smile of hers up at him, then at his fellow agents. He felt the locket through his shirt, keeping his eyes locked on Kagome. The locket had been with him for as long as he could remember.. He didn't know where it came from, but it held an inscription in perfect kanji...

Ka...

Go...

Me...

Kagome.

He never could get it open, but somehow this girl was connected with him.. He just didn't know how.. Maybe he _was_ this Inu Yasha guy. Hell, with all the memories that belonged to the hanyou instead of him, he was beginning to believe it. Or maybe it was him in a past life.. He mulled over the possibilities, not knowing the truth as of yet, while Kagome tugged on his arm.

"Daijoubou?"

He blinked, then shook his head to clear it, only grunting in response. "C'mon, let's get going." Agent Smith started ahead of them, Miroku and Sango following behind, with Kagome bringing up the rear. She watched her friends look at all the marvels of the buildings in the future, a smile curving her mouth slightly. It still held pain.. Kami-sama knows it would for a long time.. But this time for the time her friends left behind for her. Their era for hers.. She never would have guessed things would have turned out this way.

Kagome then pinched herself hard. The pain of her stomach eating herself, and the pain for her friends and Inu Yasha muted the pinch, causing her to barely notice any discomfort. She sighed, releasing her bit of skin, and bringing her hand up to finger the rosary around her neck instead. Emotional pain over physical pain.. Like a dream.

Owari nai yume.. endless dream...

But what happens if you wake up?

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**A/N: I got this update completed soon, just for you guys. . I have the ending all figured out, too, so I just have to deepen the plot abit.. I think you all will love it! I'm also going to start doing shout-outs to my reviewers, so enjoy! You'll get a cookie if you review!**

**BeccaPatty- **I'm glad you like it! And as for the ending.. well, as much as I love angst, I think you'll love what'll happen! .

**Ayame- **Yay, I'm glad you'll be reading more or my chapters! Thanks for the support.

**ex-Driver Liz- **Great minds think alike! Arigatou!

**ssp51201- **Yeah, very confusing. Thanks for being so understanding as to my life getting in the way. Between school and traveling between my father and mother's houses, I was a little too stressed to try to remember my plot for this fic. Arigatou for waiting .

**Sarcasm Girl8**- Lmao. Hopefully, the wait wasn't too long this time. I know how frustrating it can be when people don't update very often. . It's something I'm working on again.

**horsegal628-** Your favorite fanfic on here?! Really?! Omg, I feel so.. special! Thanks so much!


	9. Tetsusaiga

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inu-chan.. But, I -do- own his haori and all the OC's packed into the strip club.**

**A/N: I'm sorry it took so long to get this update out. I meant to, I really did.. But I kept getting distracted, and so many things went on, what with the holidays coming up.. I'm sorry...**

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_

_I sigh, and for you, I sigh,_

_For I know the flames are nigh._

_And the moon pendant in the sky fell,_

_Because the world knew your soul was bound for Hell..._

"Okay, Kagome-chan.. What's been going on?" Sango asked, sitting at Kagome's desk, while Kagome sat on her bed. Miroku was still posing as an agent with Agent Smith, who was still in that form so Kagome's family wouldn't question it.

Kagome figeted, not sure where to begin.. Not sure how far she wanted to remember. Every memory was like a rusted dagger pointed at her heart.. "Well.. where do you want me to begin?"

"From when you left.. Inu Yasha wouldn't tell us what happened."

Kagome sighed, filling her lungs with a shakey breath. "Umm... I saw Kikyou and Inu Yasha together.. He said he loved her and.. they spotted me.. We had a confrontation.."

An image of Kikyou standing behind Inu Yasha on the field with the wind billowing in their clothes flashed behind Kagome's eyes.

"He said he was going to Hell with her..." Sango gasped.

An image of Inu Yasha's pain-filled golden orbs flashed in her memory.

"I ran.. I took of his rosary and ran blindly.. I went down the well and sealed it.."

Memories of her tired legs pushing their limits, covered in blood from low branches and stumbles, and finally lodging an arrowhead into the bottom of the well flashed through her mind. Kaede had been the one to teach her the sealing arrow.. Although, it was supposed to be used to seal demons.. _'Like what happened to Inu Yasha...' _Kagome thought.

"I had thrown his rosary at the Goshinboku in rage along the way.. But it returned." Kagome fingered the cracked beads around her neck, pressing her index finger into a sharp tooth strung on there, the slight pain causing her to wince. "I found it a couple of days ago.. And Inu Yasha's haori..."

Kagome rose, making her way to her closet and pulling out the haori, preserved in plastic, even though she had slept in it only the night before. Sango's eyes widened.

"I was wearing it at the time.. It still has his blood on it.."

Sango's eyes softened. "Kagome-chan..."

Kagome only shook her head, tightening her grip on it slightly. Suppressing memories, she returned the haori to its residence in her closet, then leaned her back against the door. "Ii desu, Sango-chan. A month or two passed, and I seemed to sink into a deep depression.. Well, 'seemed' isn't really the word.. I 'did' would be better. That would explain my appearance, as well as my working at Erotic Pleasures. I did it to forget him.. I wanted to forget it all.." Kagome swallowed and Sango rose to wrap a comforting arm around her best friend.

"Go on, Kagome-chan.." Sango urged, interested in hearing what transpired to get them to this point.

"... Well, I.. I was on my first day when I met Agent Smith. He saved me, and I thought he was Inu Yasha.. It was even a New moon.." Kagome stepped out of Sango's comfort to stand in front of her surrogate sister, her mouth curved in a half smile. "And well, I found out that if he- or any of you- takes off the badge, you become the friends I know from Sengoku Jidai. I guess I should be asking your agent forms if they've had any weird dreams. Agent Smith is recovering his memories.." Kagome blinked. "And this all sounds weird. They -are- you.. Not reincarnations. Yet, I'm making it sound that way."

Sango only smiled. "It is weird.. I never expected it to turn out this way.."

Kagome nodded, then looked off towards her bedroom door. "Naze, Sango-chan..? I mean.. Why.. Why would you all give up your time for mine?"

Sango laughed softly, shaking her head. "Why not? You're what held us all together, Kagome-chan.. And if we could be together, all of us.. then why not? Time doesn't matter.. It'll just take some getting used to. I just didn't expect us to really -be- other people here.."

Kagome looked back towards her best friend, her eyes thoughtful. "..It's because by all rights, you don't exist in this time."

"Hm?" Sango tilted her head slightly.

"You guys already had lives here because the wish would've messed up the space-time-continuum otherwise. You'd have no records of existence, no education in the fields of today.. It would've been a big mess-up."

'_It still is...' _Kagome mentally berated, _'They still screwed up.. It can't be the same.. Nothing can ever be the same again.. All of our travels were five-hundred years ago!'_

And that hurt..

Where had things gone so horribly wrong?

Agent Smith looked over at 'Agent Bates' suspiciously. He noticed that his fellow agent kept looking around at things in puzzlement and sometimes awe. He didn't even remember how to turn on the television, and then gasped when he saw the 'miniature people' stuck in a 'spell'...

It was all so strange..

His eyes suddenly widened. Hadn't Agent Smith seen a picture of a man that looked exactly like Agent Bates? And didn't the back of the picture say "Miroku-sama"?

Hm..

Agent Smith leaned back casually on the couch, staring at Agent Bates instead of the television. After he had met Kagome, things had become so complicated. Now, he had to solve a rapist case, in which he was assigned because... well...

Because the same gang had raped his mother to death years ago...

So, when word of them arising again in a streak of terror and horror reached him, he had pulled the strings to get his team on the case.

So, he had his job to deal with, bills to pay, his team acting strangely, 'waking dreams' driving him to the brink of insanity, and he hadn't gotten his statement from Tsubii and Kiki to file yet.

Not to mention the fact that he was currently living under the same roof as the girl that haunted his dreams, awake or no, and had pictures of him with dog ears.. _And _was currently an innocent schoolgirl by day, pole-dancing stripper by night.

Agent Smith grinded the heel of his hand into his eyes. How did life get so complicated so fast? And why did he feel so drawn to the girl that was obviously a slut?

Slut? Part of him seemed to tear at his head for saying that, inciting a migraine. He winced, digging the heel of his hand into his eye harder. Kagome wasn't a slut.. But he needed to find out why she had become one. It would help him figure out his case.

Or maybe it would just satisfy his curiosity.

"Youkai!" Agent Bates/ Miroku shouted, jumping back as a commercial for the latest horror flick flashed on the screen. Startled, Miroku grabbed a broom stick, preparing to strike the television.

_Clunk_

The broom flew from Miroku's hand in mid-strike as Agent Smith hit his target- Miroku's hand- with the remote.

"Miroku.. Watch what you're doing. Kagome wouldn't like it very much if you destroyed her television.." Agent Smith calmly interjected the name on the back of the photo to see if it drew a response.

"Gomen, Inu Yasha.. It just startled me." Miroku replied, forgetting all about the hanyou's form. Only a few seconds after he saw Agent Smith's calculating gaze locked on him, did he stiffen, remembering that the man with the long, dark hair and the violet eyes was not Inu Yasha.

'_Matte.. How did he know my real name..?!'_ Miroku wondered.

Inu Yasha... He had been called Inu Yasha by a partner of his.. It scared him, to think he was going insane. It also scared him that Agent Bates had responded to the name Miroku with no weird stares.

"How did you.." Miroku began, causing Agent Smith's headache to kick up a notch. What did Kagome do- place a spell on him to make him hallucinate? So much ran through his mind..

"Maybe you could answer some questions of mine.. Miroku."

Miroku audibly gulped.

"_Please bare my child."_

_Miroku held Kagome's hands in his, while a certain hanyou looked on in shock. The lecherous houshi had only met them just recently and already he had the gull to ask such a thing?!_

_Kagome had a weird, apprehensive look to her features. "Why should I?"_

_Miroku only sighed. "If by some freak chance I cannot complete my revenge against Naraku, when I die.. It is essential that I entrust the family duty onto a child." He seemed serious.._

_Inu Yasha had seen all he needed to and inserted himself between the two, angrily. "Oh, give me a fucking break, you lecherous Bouzu!"_

"_I am a houshi."_

_Inu Yasha twitched. "If you dare to bother Kagome with those bloody strange requests-"_

_Miroku cut him off. "Sorry to intrude. She appeared to be just a companion but.. Inu Yasha's fallen in love with Kagome-sama. Gomen.." He looked slightly embarrassed._

"_Y-you stupid fool! I'm only using her as a device to find the shikon kakera.." Inu Yasha's face matched his haori._

....The shikon kakera..

That's all I care about, right?

....No way Miroku could be right...

I'm not in love with... with...

"Errgh..." Agent Smith rolled over, falling off the couch in the process. "Oww, my head.." He rubbed at the small lump, then shot his gaze to Agent Bates, seeing 'Agent Holmes' and Kagome sitting beside him.

"Have a nice nap?" Kagome asked, smiling slightly. He hated how even now, her smile lacked something.

'_Maybe it's the fact that her eyes look so painful... Like she carries something deep down that she holds on to.. Something hurting her.. Could it be this Inu Yasha guy..?'_

It was then that Agent Smith remembered his dream. His eyes shot from Miroku, to Kagome. His head throbbed. Had someone knocked him out..? It felt like it. And why was he dreaming about Inu Yasha so much? For now, he decided against asking what had happened.. He didn't want to be locked away with the marshmallow walls

"I think it's time you two get home.. It's getting late." Agent Smith said to his partners. Kagome looked sad for a moment, then clipped on their badges in unison, so they'd at least know where they lived. Both of their eyes flashed momentarily, before they looked around in confusion at their being in Kagome's house suddenly.

"Okay, so you guys get that statement from Kiki and Tsubii and have it on my desk first thing in the morning. We'll do some more tracking around the alleyway, since it seems to be a keen location for these types of hits. And Kagome here seems to attract it.." He sighed, while Kagome blinked. "We might use her as bait."

"Nani?!"

"Joking. It goes against regulations." He scoffed. Kagome only muttered, looking down.

"Okay, now get home." He commanded the other agents, who rose, bowed, then left.

Kagome sighed, watching them leave. She was wondering how they managed to take showers all these years without taking off their badges.. She assumed it hadn't always been like that. Maybe it had to do with memories that triggered the transformation back to their feudal state. There had to be more to it than just taking off a badge.. And with Agent Smith constantly having memories of Inu Yasha as of late, she couldn't tell.

Kagome silently left the room, aware of Agent Smith's gaze on her back, but uncaring. She padded up the steps, then turned into her room, shutting the door behind her with an audible click. Mulling over the possibilities of the badge, she turned on her desk lamp, only to catch a glimmer of something in the tree beside her window. This caused her to raise an eyebrow and tilt her head, trying to see it better. It glimmered slightly, though she didn't think it was metal.. She saw specks of a golden color.

Kagome opened her window and stepped out on the roof, her leg shaking violently as she tried to steady herself. Ignoring her nerves, she held on to the side of the window, then leaned over, stretching her free arm out as far as she could to no avail. Feeling drawn by this object, she moved out of the window, onto the ledge, holding onto the side of the window pane for balance. Slowly, she moved forward, trying to stop her legs from shaking, and leaned until she could feel the rough bark beneath her fingers. She moved her other hand quickly to join the first, grabbing ahold of the tree, so she was stretched out between the ledge and tree. Taking in a deep breath, she stretched further, until she could feel the smooth surface of the glimmering object. She gave it a yank forward, into the light coming from the lamp in her room behind her...

And screamed.

Agent Smith slowly walked up the stairs, trying to figure out the meaning of his strange dreams. First things first, though.. He wanted to ask Kagome how she ever ended up being a stripper. That Inu Yasha guy, who he seemed to be confused with so often, had broken her heart. A youkai? A trip through the well? What were the rest of the pieces of the story? The one person that could tell him was the heart-broken stripper whose house he currently resided in.

Suddenly, he heard her scream and froze half-way up the stairs. _'Kagome!'_ He bounded up the stairs and just about kicked down her door, only to find her frozen on the ledge just outside her window. "Kagome! No!" He cried out, sprinting the short distance from her door to her window and lunging for her. His arms went around her waist, yanking her forcefully back into the room, both of them ending up on the floor. As he panted to calm his racing heart, he tightened his grip on her. _'Did that idiot try to commit suicide? And why is my heart beating so fast..? Why am I so worried about her safety?'_

"You idiot.." Agent Smith whispered into her hair, before realizing she was rigid and staring at the long object in her hand. "What is that..?" He questioned suspiciously. '_Oh gods, she really -did- try to commit suicide!'_

Kagome opened her mouth a couple of times, then swallowed hard, holding it out to him. He blinked, then wrapped his fingers around the slender object, his eyes automatically becoming glazed over.

"_No crying!"_

_Inu Yasha felt a pang of guilt for making the schoolgirl from the future cry. Her tears built in her eyes and slowly seeped down her cheeks, yet she still responded to him in an angry tone. _

"_Should I be laughing, then?!"_

"_No," he responded to her sarcasm with narrowed eyes, "You should shut up, and let me protect you!"_

_Her tears instantly dried up as she looked at him questionably. Next thing she new, he had unlocked the object's transformation power and severed his own half-brother's arm, ending the battle. He had successfully protected her..._

_And he did so many times later in their journey. He unlocked several new techniques with the powerful item along the way as well, including the Kaze no Kizu, Bakuryuuha, and Kongou Souha_.

_It was his father's legacy to him..._

Agent Smith zoned back in, shaking his head slightly to clear his thoughts as he heard Kagome's voice.

"It's-.." She began, but Agent Smith cut her off.

"My Tetsusaiga."

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**A/N: Okay, there it is. I know, I know.. I owe you guys a longer chapter. But the next chapter will involve all his questions of her journey and shit, and who knows.. He might just turn back into the Inu Yasha we all know and love. shrugs You'll have to wait and see, because not even _I _know!**


	10. Revelations

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inu Yasha, but maybe I'll get him for Christmas! **

**A/N: Okay, I'm hoping to get this chapter out sooner, so I don't lose my readers. Besides, I'm out for three weeks for Christmas break, so I should have more than enough time to get finish a measely chapter. You can bet multiple updates are up for this month! All out of the spirit of the holidays, no matter how much I may dislike them.

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_What can go wrong will,_

_So my life is crumbling._

_Memories are going in for the kill,_

_And I can't quit stumbling..

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_

Kagome blinked, tilting her head slightly. _'Did he just say -his-..?'_

"Hai... The Tetsusaiga..." She slowly nodded as she talked, watching his expression intently. It seemed guarded.

"It's mine, isn't it? I can almost feel it pulsating beneath my fingers, as if it's trying to tell me it is." He finally took his eyes from the sword and met her gaze. "Kagome.. I want you to tell me everything."

"Wh-what do you mean?" She squeaked, flinching slightly as if he had lashed out at her. Agent Smith could see that the truth was hidden just under the surface. She would tell him.. He would get the answers and find out what the hell was happening to him.

"You know damn well what I mean." He stood, and she followed suit, only to get pushed back into her desk chair. He towered over her, though couldn't bring himself to look as menacing as he would when grilling a criminal. Hell, he knew he had a soft look in his eyes, even though he was trying to look hardened to get the story from her. Crossing his arms over his chest, he ignored her protests of "What are you doing?!" and locked gazes with her.

"Start from the beginning. Why are you a whore now?"

Kagome looked offended and glared up at him. "How dare you say that! I'm just a stripper, not some prostitute!"

Agent Smith rolled his eyes, propping a thigh against her desk. "Whatever. Why did you take that job?"

"What business is it of yours?" She retorted, narrowing her eyes. He could see he pissed her off, yes. But he'd be damned if he backed down now.

"First off, my case revolves around a gang of rapists.. And that gang attacked _you. _That gives me the right to question you. Next, there's something up with that Inu Yasha guy.. Some connection between us. I deserve to know what it is. Kagome, tell me." He commanded, though a pleading tone was covered in the hardened one.

Kagome sighed, bowing her head and staring at the house slippers on her feet. '_How many times do I have to tell this story?!'_ A wave of depression rocked her, unshed tears beginning to shimmer in her eyes. Agent Smith looked taken back, surprised by how fast she could go from angry to depressed.

"I took the job to forget someone. It hurt so much, and I wanted to forget so badly.. So, I took the job in hopes to forget.." Agent Smith sat down in front of her, a hand on her knee comfortingly, as he strained to hear her. She was whispering, her voice shaken.

"Who?" He inquired, though he knew the answer. He just wanted to hear her admit it.

Kagome's gaze rose from her feet to meet his violet orbs. "Inu Yasha. I wanted to forget.. Inu Yasha.." She fought back tears she knew would come, hoping that her voice would remain steady. Staring into the face of the man she loved, yet knowing that it was really not him, only reminded her of the painful part of the past. And the fact that Inu Yasha was only a badge away.. Well, that only twisted the dagger in her heart. She couldn't always be with him... Even if Agent Smith gained back his memories, he'd only be just that: a different man with the same face that held her fuedal love's memories. He'd never be the same.. Kagome could never have a life with Inu Yasha..

A tear fell and splattered on Agent Smith's hand.

"I don't want to forget him!" She cried out suddenly, jumping up from the seat. "No! It can never be the same, nothing ever will! It was stupid, Inu Yasha! You hear me? It was a stupid wish! You should have never given up your time for mine if you can't even be yourself!" Her voice cracked, and she knew Agent Smith probably thought she was near hysteria.

He stood and grabbed her by the shoulders, though she struggled against him. "Kagome! What happened to Inu Yasha? What happened to do this to you?"

"He and my friends wished to come to this time.. So, they did." She ceased her struggling to look him directly in the eye. "As agents." His eyes went huge, and she took the oppurtunity to wrench out of his grasp and sprint from the room. Her family was probably out back, praying to the Goshinboku to help their daughter get over the hanyou that had protected her for years, only to leave her in this state, but she did not care. She ran straight out the front door, barely able to get her shoes on in her haste, and bolted down the shrine steps. She heard the door open again and knew that Agent Smith had followed, causing her to hold back a frustrated scream. She wanted to get away from him.. As she reached the last step, she chanced a look over her shoulder to see him approaching the top one.

"Stop! Just leave me alone!" she cried, holding out a hand as if to ward him off. Her voice was choked with emotion, and he could see that he had torn down a barrier for a moment. She needed time to put it back up.. That's what she was trying to do by running, and he knew it. Agent Smith paused, his eyes going soft, though he had so many more questions. _'Follow her and demand to know what she meant while she's vulnerable!' _cried one part of his mind. The other argued back, in a voice with a hint of a growl, _'No, you fool! Don't hurt my Kagome anymore.. She's in enough pain as it is..'_

..._My Kagome?_

The voice belonged to none other than Inu Yasha, though Agent Smith was not aware of this fact. He only took it as a sign that he really wanted to leave her be on the inside.

So, he watched her hurry down the street, running blindly for a few short moments, before he took off after her. _'Hey, I gave her a headstart..' _He tried to justify his actions with himself, only to meet silence. _'Damn straight, you better not argue... And now, I'm mentally talking to myself. Good job, Smith.'_

Kagome continued to run, her head bowed, though she managed to avoid the innocent bystanders in her sprint. It was then, that she noticed she was still being followed. He was only doing so at a distance. Part of her burned with how insensitive he was being by not respecting her need to be alone, but another very female part of her felt comforted by knowing that he was still around when she felt so alone and broken inside.

Then, the other part reminded that part that he was only following her to ask more questions that she didn't want to answer aloud.

The very female part then joined the other in burning, rage overtaking the emotional pain.

Kagome haulted in mid-stride, finding herself in a mostly-deserted park.. The one where she and Inu Yasha had set up her brother, Souta, with a girl from his class. She looked to the bushes, reliving the moment when they both looked at each other and blushed. Her head bowed again as she waited for Agent Smith to step into the clearing.

"Kagome.." He paused, coming to a stop several feet away from her. She made no move to acknowledge him for a moment, just staring at the ground. Her tears had dried and the barrier was back up, enforced better than before.

"You followed me to ask, so ask. Ask about what I meant, when you know the answer yourself. Ask about how I take off my clothes for cash to try to forget. Ask about the circles under my eyes, the paleness of my skin, and my lack of apetetite." She took a few steps closer, her eyes narrowed. She looked very much like the woman she despised right now. And she was a shell, just like her incarnation.. "Ask why I cry, or why I seem like a raving lunatic! Ask why I cling to these rosary beads like a life-line, or why I call you Inu Yasha at times. Ask!"

"Kagome.." Agent Smith took a step back, his expression pained. Following her had been a bad idea..

'_Great job, dumbass.. I warned ya.'_

_'Oh, up yours..'_

Kagome stepped closer to him, a sob choking her throat, even though her eyes were dry. She stopped as her shoes brushed against his, reaching out and grabbing a fistful of his shirt to pull him closer to her. "Ask me what it feels like to see yourself from a past life brought back to the world of the living with a piece of your soul, the hatred for the man you love that she once possessed, and then watch her steal away the love.. Only to have him not be stolen at all, but to only take it the wrong way, and leave forever.. Leave it all behind for a life as a _whore, _as you put it, and then discover that he followed you five hundred years into the future.. But, he's not himself.. He'll always just be a stranger with the same face and his dead memories."

Agent Smith stood there speechless as Kagome quivered for a moment, but did not cry. She spat out her whole dramatic speech like she was trying to rid her mouth of venom, leaving him with nothing to retort back with. She then released his shirt, shoving him back a little with the force, as if he disgusted her. "Well, aren't you going to _ask?!"_

Kagome felt like such a bitch, glaring daggers into an exact copy of the face of the man she loved.. Well, of one of the forms of the man she loved. She would always love him the most as a hanyou. But the anger was numbing her pain.. It was her bitch-driving-force. She then caught a shimmer from a street light reflecting into Agent Smith's badge. She could see her reflection in it, her eyes narrowed and sad, her skin pale, and the bluish bags under her eyes giving her a ghostly persona. Her expression crumbled, as well as her anger. '_I look so much like Kikyou.. And she's all the things I hate.. I've become like her, haven't I? A cold, uncaring shell? I'm.. I'm sorry, Inu Yasha...'_

"I'm sorry.." Kagome whispered, shielding her eyes with her bangs.

"It's okay.." Agent Smith reached for her shoulder, intent on comforting her, but she jerked away violently.

"Don't!" Kagome looked up pleadingly. "Please.. please don't.." He looked hurt for a moment, but masked it.

"C'mon, Kagome.." He urged, "Let's just go for a walk.. You don't need to keep it inside. And since I keep having these memories, I believe I have a right to know the truth." He stepped closer, offering his arm for her.

Kagome wanted so badly to keep the secret to herself. She felt as if telling it would be betraying her Sengoku Jidai friends.. But Inu Yasha _was_ inside him.. And maybe it would bring him one step closer to regaining his memories. Kagome felt a pang in her chest at the very thought.. But it was different and disturbing. _'I don't want him to, do I..? I want Inu Yasha and Agent Smith to remain seperate. I don't want that man to have his memories.. Yet, I should. I should want to spend time with him, no matter what..' _She looked at his arm, then to him, startled by her epiphany. _'But it's too much like the reinacarnation deal with me and Kikyou. Only Inu Yasha never died. That's not his reincarnation.. Only a man with two souls..? Oh, how they messed up. I have to find Shippou-chan and Kirara!'_

Seeing she wasn't about to move, he took her by the arm, himself, and began to walk, dragging her behind him along the darkened sidewalk. It was almost too quiet, with the sound of their shoes against the pavement and the distant cars as their traveling music. "I've began to piece together the puzzle." Agent Smith broke into her thoughts, causing her to look up at him, trying to cover her alarm. "I don't need to ask to know why you cling to that rosary. It was Inu Yasha's. You had some kind of binding spell on him."

"H-how did.."

"Your brother." He smirked slightly, glad to have the kid's help. "You could use it when he was going crazy to subdue him back to normal. The Tetsusaiga was also his."

"Souta told you all this?" Kagome muttered.

"Well, I got the going crazy part in a 'waking dream'.. or vision, memory, whatever you want to call it. But Souta told me about the Tetsusaiga. He said you could use purification arrows, too, though I'm not surprised, seeing as you _are_ from a shrine." Kagome scoffed, remaining silent. "But I think the Tetsusaiga's mine.." Agent Smith held out the sheath, just happening to take it along with him, despite the weird stares he got as he chased Kagome down. He just couldn't bare to part with it for some reason. "So, does that make me Inu Yasha?"

"No!" Kagome pulled her arm from his. "You're not him!"

He blinked. "I meant like a reincarnation.. Geez, calm down, woman. Didn't you say he came here as an agent? Didn't you mean me?"

Kagome took a few steps back, her throat closing in on her. _'I can't tell you that, Smith. Don't make me say the truth aloud.. I can't say it!'_

"Kagome.. I know we're connected somehow." He took a step towards her. "I had to stay at your shrine because of it. Look.." He pulled on a chain under the collar of his shirt, until a tiny, golden locket in the shape of a heart was produced. "The kanji.. It has your name."

Kagome froze, crossing the distance between them quickly for a better look at it. '_Oh, gods..' _It was the locket she had given Inu Yasha... from when they had been in the photo booth. Only it had her name inscribed, probably from Inu Yasha's claw. "Wh-where did you get this?"

Agent Smith shrugged. "I've had it for as long as I can remember.. I've searched for so long for the Kagome it spoke of. I believe that it's you.."

"Is anything.. inside it?"

Another shrug. "Dunno, can't seem to get the damn thing open." Kagome slipped her thumb nail into the slit where the latch should be, then pressed until she heard a click, signalifying that she had succeeded where he had failed.

Agent Smith sweat-dropped.

"It never worked for me!" He reached for it, to look side, but Kagome's swatted his hand, holding it still. She was afraid to look, afraid to see her face beside Inu Yasha's and have to admit it. She was also afraid that it would be like a twisted dream.. She'd open the locket and look inside to see a completely different face, or perhaps, Kikyou's.. Then, she'd know it's all been an illusion, and she would run wildly through the streets, laughing insanely, until the men-in-white-coats van almost ran her down in a haste to take her away from soceity forever.

She began to wonder if that would be so bad...

Just as she began to slowly pull the locket apart, she was startled by a scream, Agent Smith flinching as well. A small boy ran along the path, being chased by some older boys with baseball bats. "Kill the freak!" "Death to the freak!" The boys cried out, swinging the bat, and narrowly missing the smaller child each time. Kagome then noticed who the boy was..

Agent Smith zoned out again.

_"Assholes.. You have the kakera of the Shikon no Tama, don't you?!" An ominous mist swirled around the owner of the voice. _

_"A youkai!" Kagome cried out, Inu Yasha standing protectively in front. The lighting suddenly became normal, and before the pair was a massive pink sphere with with two, cross-eyed eyes and tiny, spindly arms. _

_"Give it to me!" The youkai bit down on Inu Yasha's head weakly. "I will kill you!"_

_Inu Yasha scratched his head, not looking amused at all. With his eyes closed, he slapped the youkai, sending it reeling away from him. With a groaned 'Uggh!' from the youkai, it puffed into smoke and changed into a small child in front of them. Only it was a kitsune, a fox youkai. "What'dya do that for?!" The child demanded. Inu Yasha only picked him up by the base of the tail, looking calmly at him. _

_"Damn, it's just a disguised young Tanuki."_

_"I'm a KITSUNE!" _

_Kagome looked on, shiny-eyed in amazement. "Ka..Kawaii! Let me hug him next, okay?"_

_"Are you going to go get Kagome? She's late getting back."_

_Inu Yasha snapped from his thoughts, startled that the young kitsune had seemed to read his mind. They sat, side-by-side on the roof of Kaede's hut, sharing a quiet evening as they awaited to catch Kagome's scent._

_"She's always late. Why should I care if she comes back?"_

_The young kitsune only shook his head, staring off at the horizon. "Don't you care for her, Inu Yasha?" he asked, yet he already knew the answer was yes, whether Inu Yasha wanted to admit it or not._

_"Kagome's just a Shikon kakera detector. But, if I don't get her, she'll stay there for a long time, and we'll never get anything done." With that said, he leapt from the roof and bounded into the forest, leaving the kitsune alone._

_Shippou only smiled._

Kagome gasped as the boys grew nearer, getting closer to hitting the younger one in the head each time.

"Shippou-chan!"

"Shippou!"

Kagome blinked as Agent Smith cried out his name in unison with her, though he seemed to not notice, and instead began running towards the boys, sheathed Tetsusaiga in hand...

* * *

**A/N: Okay, another chapter completed and it didn't take me very long. I thought you guys deserved that much. But, the next update should be around the 21st. I think it would be kewl if I were to update on the one-year anniversary of this fanfic. Yeah, I know.. It shouldn't have taken me this long, but I just kinda lost my passion for this for a while there. And I know this chapter's short, but I had to leave end it when Shippou came in. That way, you can get an extra long chapter next time about his present-day life and whatnot. Kirara might even show up. Who knows.. -shrug.-**


	11. Shippou

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Inu-tachi, but I -do- own KiKi, Tsubii, and the other strippers.. You hear that, Kiki?! I own you! Even though you came up with the name, I still own your soul! O.o;

A/N: Yeah, I know I said I'd update the 21st.. But, when have I ever? Bah, it was too close to X-mas, so family crap got in the way...

* * *

_I know a girl,_

_Who tried to forget him._

_She started as a stripper, worked her way up,_

_Trying to find someone to keep her life from being dim..

* * *

_

As the little boy neared, both Kagome and Agent Smith started out after him, but Agent Smith was a lot faster. With what seemed like inhuman speed in the dangerous situation, Smith scooped up the little boy, and blocked the older kids' weapons with the Tetsusaiga sheath. The two boys yelped, startled, as their attacks were repelled, and stared up at Agent Smith in fear.

"Just what do you think you're doing?!" He towered over them, his shadow given off by the street lights washing over the two. The little boy that looked like Shippou clutched Smith's shirt in his hands, staring up at him in bewilderment.

"Um.. Uh.. Nothing..." One of the boys stammered out. "Jus' playin'..."

"Oh, playing kill the kid with bats, huh? Popular game.." Agent Smith rolled his eyes, then hit the ground with the Tetsusaiga sheath. The two boys turned tail and ran screaming into the night. As he watched them leave, Agent Smith crouched to put 'Shippou' down. "You okay, kid?"

"I-I'm fine.." He replied, shaking slightly, as he looked up at him in somewhat fear. "Th-thank you for s-saving me.."

Kagome came up to Agent Smith's side, crouching down as well, and brushing 'Shippou's' bangs from his eyes out of natural habbit. _'That's Shippou-chan alright.. Thank Kami-sama we found him.. Now, all we need is Kirara.. Oh, and to find out what would change Shippou-chan back into Shippou-chan..'_ Kagome smiled warmly at the small boy, fighting the urge to just crush him to her.. She had missed her surrogate son deeply. "I'm Kagome, and this is um.. Smith. What's your name?"

"I'm Flavio," he announced proudly.

Kagome and Agent Smith both face-faulted into the ground, twitching. '_Who would name their son Flavio?!' _Kagome wondered in shock, _'Is that even a real name?'_

"Are you guys okay?" Little, sweet, innocent Flavio asked.

"Y-yeah." Kagome answered for Agent Smith as she righted herself up. "So, do you need us to take you home?"

"I.. I don't have a home.." Flavio replied, looking down and kicking a small pebble around some.

"Eh?" Kagome tilted her head.

"I was left here by the people that had taken me in a while back.. They live far from here, so I don't think I could find them again.. Not that I want to. That's why I was being chased- I was sleeping under some bench on their side of the playground." Flavio looked up slightly in a silent plea.

"Well, then, come with us. We'll take you in." Agent Smith stood up, and began walking back towards the shrine.

"Agent Smith.." Kagome smiled at his back, then reached over and took Flavio's hand, pulling him up.

"Are you serious?" Flavio asked in wonder, blinking.

"Yeah, unless you'd rather be beaten to death by some older kids, then come stay at the Higurashi shrine with us." Agent Smith shrugged. "C'mon, Kagome."

"Arigatou.." Flavio looked at them both with tears in his eyes. "Arigatou.."

Kagome smiled down at him and lead him by the hand back to the shrine, following behind Agent Smith.

----------------------------------------------

"He's asleep."

Agent Smith looked back at Kagome, whom stood in the doorway of his room, clad in her pajamas and a loose, pink robe. "I figured as much. He had a rough day, it seems."

"Yeah.. He said his parents had been recently murdered, so he was stuck with a foster family that was supposedly trustworthy.. But they didn't take very good care of him and ended up dumping him off at that playground.. It's horrible." Kagome crossed the distance between them, to sit beside him on the edge of the bed.

"I could go after them and arrest them for that.." Agent Smith started, then shook his head. "But I have a current case I'm working on.. Unless I see it before my very eyes, I can't pursue to arrest."

"Isn't it the police's job to arrest?" Kagome asked.

"Yeah, it is. But I still have the power if I should see a crime committed while checking out my case." He shrugged. "We're not even that close to solving it.. All I know is that the gang's hideout seems to be somewhere around that alleyway.. We can't seem to find any clues to support it enough, though.." Sighing, he stretched slightly.

"I see.. So, you'll be back at _Erotic Pleasures_ tomorrow, huh?"

"Oh yeah, can't get enough of those hott strippers." He smirked as she twitched. "Don't you have to work again tomorrow?"

"Yeah.." She sighed. "Hopefully, just waitressing. That way, my shift won't be too long, and I can get back to little.. Flavio.."

"He's really.. Shippou.. isn't he?" Agent Smith asked, looking forward, instead of at Kagome.

"Yes.. He is.. What do you know of Shippou-chan?"

"He was annoying."

Kagome let out a soft laugh, shaking her head slightly. "Only to Inu-Yasha.. Shippou-chan always tried to be tough, even when he was scared.. His parents were killed by thunder youkai, which Inu-Yasha killed shortly after.. Shippou-chan then joined up with us, as kinda a surrogate son. He was always happy to see me.."

Agent Smith remained silent for a while, before he quietly asked, "Why are you still a stripper..?"

"Huh?" Kagome looked over at him.

"You heard me.. Why do you still do it, if.. If I'm Inu-Yasha.."

"You're not him." Kagome stood up abruptly, her eyes hidden under her bangs.

"But if Flavio is Shippou, then I must be Inu Yasha, ne?"

"He may be inside you, and you may have his memories.. But the Inu-Yasha I loved.. He died five hundred years ago." Kagome walked out of the room, her head bowed.

Agent Smith only stared.

Kagome entered her room, clicking the door shut behind her. Her heart clenched tightly in her chest, causing a tear to drop from the corner of her eyes and splash on the carpet. _'Enough of thinking of this for one day.. I'll fix it.. I'll think of some way to fix it all.. All I have to do is find Kirara..'_

Kagome glanced over to her bed, seeing the boy that looked identical to Shippou, save the tail and fangs, sleeping in it. Quietly, she climbed in beside him, choking back a sob as he automatically snuggled beside her for the added warmth.

"Shippou-chan.. I missed you.."

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"She's not here today.. Did you two have a fight?" Agent Bates smirked over a glass of Irish beer at the seething Agent Smith. They were once again in the strip club, _Erotic Pleasures, _trying to get a statement from Tsubii and Kiki.

"Shut up." Agent Smith growled, sulking. Kagome refused to show up for work, but instead spent the day with Flavio. She had even refused to go to school, claiming it to be a waste of time. Her grandfather had said something about her being sick often, causing her to miss most of her school days. That made him wonder if perhaps Kagome was really insane and she was rubbing off on him. Truth or lies, it mattered not.. He first needed to focus on his career choice in life and solve the damned case before any other poor, innocent women suffered death by continuous gang-rape.

"I would say she'd lose her job at this rate.. But the guys love her! The not-so-innocent schoolgirl bit may be cliche', but it sure is hawt!" Tsubii smirked, pouring herself and Kiki a glass of Irish beer. Kiki sat atop a barstool, looking down at Agent Holmes as she asked questions. Unlike her male partners, Agent Holmes did not care for talking of relationship problems, and instead wanted to finish the case quickly and get the hell out of the strip club. The way Agent Bates kept drooling over the strippers was pissing her off a little more each minute.

"Just give me a statement of what happened, so we can go.." She rubbed her temples.

"But you guys will come back, right? You're becoming friends of ours, not to mention regulars." Kiki smiled, sipping her beer.

"No, we will not come back. We're on a case!"

"I'll come back, don't worry, sweetheart." Agent Bates winked at Kiki.

"Not while you're on DUTY, you won't. Now just tell me a freaking statement!" Agent Holmes almost broke her pencil, twitching in anger.

"No need to be jealous, my love. I've only eyes for you." Agent Bates said, leaning towards Agent Holmes.

"Liar!" She yelled out, turning and smacking him off the barstool. An eruption of applause echoed in the strip club.

"Okay, before she kills him, give her the statement." Agent Smith sighed.

"Okay, then.. Kagome-chan was going to give a lapdance to Agent Smith over there, but on the way, some guy groped her.. She whacked him, and his friends circled her.. Agent Smith saved her. End of story."

"...That statement wasn't worth the trouble." Agent Holmes sighed. "It didn't give any new clues or anything."

"It's regulation.. That makes it worth the trouble." Agent Smith shrugged, then blinked. "Wait.. There was some kind of secret entrance somewhere in the back alleys.. They tried to get Kagome there, but I didn't see anything else. Maybe there are more like that throughout the alleys."

"Agent Bates and I will search the alleyways, then. You will be contacted immediately if we find any such thing." Agent Holmes jotted down a few notes.

"What should I do, then, if you guys are taking the fun job?"

"Try working things out with your stripper." Agent Bates said, pulling himself back onto the barstool. "Or take her for a walk through the alleys. You're sure to draw the gang out with her."

"I wouldn't put her in that kind of danger!" Agent Smith stood up, slamming his palm on the bartop.

"Geez, relax. She's been in danger, and you've always saved her, right? She'd be fine as long as you're there."

"I'll think about it.." Agent Smith downed the last of his Irish beer, then exited the strip club.

"...He's going to get some ass." Kiki stated, downing the rest of her beer as well, then cracking her dominatrix whip.

"Yup." Tsubii agreed, washing out Agent Smith's empty glass.

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"Kagome... I.. I missed you.."

Kagome sat with a sobbing Shippou in her lap, hugging him tightly to her, as his small hands held onto her neck for dear life. He crushed his face into the side of her neck, his warm tears burning her flesh with guilt. She had caused him this pain. She had been selfish and left all her Sengoku Jidai friends without even a goodbye. And she beat herself up about it constantly.

"I missed you, too, Shippou-chan.." Kagome whispered into his hair, ignoring the pain of his tiny hands choking her as he held on. Beside her, lay the hair tie 'Flavio' used to pull his hair back with, glowing slightly with the shikon kakera.

"Don't leave again.."

"I won't.." Kagome promised, stroking his hair, then pulling him back, and wiping the tears from his cheeks. "Listen to me, Shippou-chan.. It's all going to be okay.. I'm going to make it all okay.."

"Is.. Is everyone else here? In this time?" Shippou asked, sniffling.

"Hai, I've already found Sango-chan, Miroku-sama, and Inu-Yasha.. We just need to find Kirara to complete the Shikon no Tama, then make a pure wish."

"What will you wish for?" Kagome turned around to see Agent Smith leaning in the doorway, and narrowed her eyes.

"None of your business."

Shippou looked from Agent Smith, to Kagome, and back to Agent Smith. "Inu-Yasha..? Why are you in your human form?"

"I don't know what you're talking about, kid.. err.. Shippou. According to Kagome, I'm not him."

"Kagome? I thought you said you found Inu-Yasha.." Shippou looked at her, confused.

_'How am I supposed to explain my inner thoughts to Shippou?'_ Kagome wondered, sighing, '_Not even I understand.. And they're _my_ thoughts..' _

"He is Agent Smith." Kagome stood, placing Shippou on the ground, and approaching the agent. She placed her hands on his chest, leaning in as if to kiss him, but then, taking off his badge while he was distracted. As if the New Moon had just ended, Agent Smith became the hanyou Inu-Yasha. "While, _he_ is Inu-Yasha."

"Stupid wish, hm?" Inu-Yasha asked, quirking a brow, while Kagome turned slightly red, remembering her earlier outburst at Agent Smith.

"I-it was... It doesn't matter! Let's just find Kirara already." Kagome sighed again. Shippou scurried over to Inu-Yasha and climbed onto his shoulder.

"Inu-Yasha! It worked! Can you believe it? We're in Kagome's time with Kagome!" Shippou was smiling ear-to-ear.

"Yeah, Shippou.. It worked."

Kagome turned away from her surrogate son and her hanyou protector, thinking of how it wasn't right.. They could never have the lives they wanted now.. Was it all for nothing?

No, maybe she could come up with a wish to make it all right again..

Suddenly, the three all jumped at Souta's startled scream coming from the bathroom. "He was giving Buyou a bath.. Buyou hates water, though, so maybe he just lashed out at him." Kagome guessed, shrugging, as she began to walk up the stairs. Halfway up, she remembered that Souta hadn't seen Inu-Yasha yet.. She just shrugged it off, though, deciding that she could explain it all to him later.

As they made their way to the bathroom, Kagome stuck her head into the doorway. "Everything okay? Oh..!" She stood in shock at the shaking Souta, looking from her precious cat, to the slightly glowing collar Souta held.

"Kirara.." The trio said in unison.

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"C'mon, Holmes-chan, don't be mad.." Agent Bates pleaded to his partner, pulling her against him. Despite the reprocausions of their partnership lest their love affair turn wrong, the two partners had recently gotten involved, though Agent Bates was a born pervert. Agent Holmes sighed, relaxing slightly against him.

"Do you always have to flirt like that? Am I not enough for you?"

"You're all I need. It's just a hard habit to break. You have to understand.." He mumbled, stroking her hair. She sighed again, stiffening.

"Then, how will this work.." She trailed off as he pressed his lips to hers, all rational thought melting away. Her eyes slowly slid closed, as he pushed her back onto the couch, his hands moving along her body, while her hands wound around his neck. Seeing as her badge was in the way of his groping, he flicked it off with his thumb..

Her eyes suddenly snapped open, and she bit down on his tongue. He yelped, his eyes shooting open as well, when she kneed him in the stomach and threw him off of her. "What the hell, woman?!" He snapped, groaning in pain. "If you didn't want it, you could just say no!"

"Hooooushi-saaaamaaaa! What do you think you're doing?!" Sango was glowing red, as she stood, twitching, and slowly picked up a nearby flower vase...

"Wait, Holmes-chan.. We can work it out.. Don't! Please! AHHHHH!!"

( Insert crashing sound effects here. )

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A/N: I thought a sweet moment between Miroku's and Sango's forms was in order.. Just a little something for all those fans out there. I'm sad to say that the next chapter will be the last. I've finally got it all planned out in my head!


	12. Wish Upon a Badge

**Disclaimer: I didn't get him for Christmas, after all.. But I'll always own his plushie. O.o; Anyways, no one but the agents and strippers are mine.**

**A/N: After reading a story my boyfriend wrote, I felt I had to write. He's such a great writer, and I look up to his ability in so many ways. I need to work on not rushing things quite as much, then maybe I can rank up there with him. We recently had our one-year anniversary, too! I love you, Daniel.**

**As for the fanfic.. Be prepared for some sappy moments, mixed in with some angst, though it didn't turn out as sad as I wanted it to.. -.-; I just kept getting distracted by MAD TV. -cough.-

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_Baby, I'm going to die tonight,_

_But as long as you know I love you, it'll be alright._

_'Live everyday as your last', as they say,_

_And please tell me you love me one more time today._

Inu-Yasha looked down at the boy draped across his legs, sighing softly. Poor Souta had fainted upon seeing his hero back, and Inu-Yasha ended up sitting on the couch, the kid lying across his lap. Kirara sat beside Shippou on the floor, while Kagome poured some milk into a saucer for her. "This is great!" Shippou grinned ear-to-ear, glancing from Kirara, to the badge, hair tie, and collar on the table. Kagome put the saucer in front of Kirara, though her eyes were on the three slightly-glowing objects.

"Mmhmm.." she agreed, though her tone showed that she was distracted. Tomorrow, she would make her wish.. And she wouldn't get another chance. It had to fix everything..

"Kagome.. Something wrong?" Inu-Yasha looked at her with a calculating gaze, blinking. She turned slightly to look at him, shaking her head.

"No.. No, it's okay.. Just thinking about tomorrow."

"Tomorrow? Oh, the wish, hm? What will you wish for..?" Kagome moved over to the couch, sitting beside Inu-Yasha and leaning against his side. He tilted his head against hers, looking down at the unconscious sibling in his lap. The wish would effect everyone; he knew it.

"I dunno.. I.. I don't want to think anymore tonight.." She closed her eyes as if to block out the world. All her contemplating about Agent Smith being Inu-Yasha or not had worn her out. She was so emotionally stressed that she couldn't help but want to break down and cry on the shoulder of the man she loved.

He was Inu-Yasha, right?

So, she should be happy.. She should be wanting to bond with him, to love him...

Yet she realized that Agent Smith haunted her memories more...

Kagome's eyes snapped open. _Of course Inu-Yasha means more to me than him.. Seeing as they act exactly the same, except Agent Smith has more knowledge of the modern times.._ she thought, stiffening.

"Kagome?" Inu-Yasha tilted his head to look at her face. The tender look caused her eyes to begin to water, though she blinked to keep it from becoming noticeable.

"N-nothing.." Kagome shook her head and sat up with her spine erect, losing physical contact with Inu-Yasha. He could sense the sadness in her, feel the stiffening. He worried that they were drifting apart and wondered if things would ever be the same between them. Did they need to talk about what would happen? He also wanted to talk about her stripping, but he assumed that after the wish would be made, that she would never do it again. Nor would he ever be in the body of another man with the same face.

Shippou and Kirara played on the floor, the television flickering in front of them, though the sound was muted. An herbal essences commercial flashed on the screen, which Kagome saw from the corner of her eye, and thanked the gods that Inu-Yasha could not hear the moans of the women on screen. Whether he would freak, or become aroused, she did not want to bother with it at the moment.

"Oi, Kagome.. Why do you seem so tense?" Inu-Yasha's voice snapped Kagome from her thoughts, and her eyes slowly focused back on his calculating gaze.

"Gomen ne, Inu-Yasha.. Just thinking." He blinked, though did not push the subject, instead only crossing his arms and letting out a trademark 'keh'. After another moment of silence, where he watched the rise and fall of Souta's chest, and his ears flicked towards the sounds of Shippou and Kirara, as well as Kagome's breathing, he felt the need to voice his thoughts.

"You seem.. more distant than usual." Kagome stiffened again, then sighed, turning tired eyes on his lively golden ones. Inu-Yasha realized just how much this was affecting the teenager. The bags under her eyes, the way her hair seemed so much thinner from her lack of food, the way her eyes had become so dull.. They were all reminders of the past. Of how much he had screwed up.

"Gomen.." Her lips twitched in a small smile. " I promise I won't be.. I'll make it all okay, somehow." Kagome slowly lifted her hand from her lap, sliding it down his arm, until it reached his hand. She then entwined her fingers gently with his, mindful of his claws, and leaned against him as he gently squeezed her hand.

'_You always protected me.. And always made everything okay, now matter how bad the odds. This time, Inu-Yasha.. This time, I'll be the one to make it okay..'_

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Agent Holmes had finally returned to herself, having tripped over the couch as Sango in rage, and landing on the badge. Agent Bates, on the other hand, fumed over his cup of coffee, muttering of the dangers of PMS. Of course, Agent Holmes heard this, which earned him another bump on his head, adding to his anger. Needless to say, breakfast in that apartment was very tense.

Agent Holmes finger combed her ponytail idly, while flipping through the latest paperwork, though not really paying attention to the words. They were not any closer to finding out the hide-out to the rapist gang, though they had ruled out several alleyways that were clear. Her mind was occupied with the team member before her, though, and how their relationship was interfering with her work. Work was supposed to come first; it paid the bills, bought her clothes, her jewelry.. The work was her life.

Was the stress of mixing work with play worth it?

"So, we meet Agent Smith at _Erotic Pleasures_ to exchange information, ne?" The female agent kept her back to Agent Bates, every muscle tense. She could feel his eyes watching her, glaring holes into her spine. The only response she received was silence, but it mattered not, for she already knew the answer was yes. The question was merely in hopes to melt away a layer of ice between them.

Was she going to leave him today..? Was it just not worth it..? She seemed so confused about their relationship, confused on where they were going. For now, however, she was only going to focus on their case.

"C'mon.. We need to get our files together and go." She finally glanced back at him, only to find him unmoving. Slowly, his arm began to lower, until the chipped bottom of his glass coffee mug settled on the table before him. The tip of his tongue cleaned away the remnants of his morning brew, but his eyes were still fixed on his current lover. He just could not understand her.. One minute, she seems ready to let him in, to let him love her; the next, she's beating him senseless for what he considered nothing.

'_Women..'_ He mentally sighed, then rubbed at his eyes with the heel of his hand, entertaining himself with the spots that appeared on the inside of his eyelids. As he heard his female companion move, he stopped for a moment, slowly lifting his eyes to look at her through his bangs. One hand held the paperwork in a folder tightly, wrinkling it around her fingers, and the other hand was clenched at her side.

"Must you be silent?!" Agent Holmes spun around, her eyes glimmering as she glared down at him. "I already told you, I don't remember doing it. I'm sorry, okay?! This is just too much! Too much!" On her heel, she spun once more, her goal being the front door. Instead, she found her wrist captured in his. Slowly, she glanced back at him, surprised that he was protesting her leaving.

"Don't be a fool." He simply stated, rubbing his thumb along the pulse in her wrist. Her head turned the rest of the way, her loose ponytail bouncing on her back with the movement.

"Wha.."

"I said, 'don't be a fool'. Don't worry about last night, but never think it's too much. It should never be." His eyes, which had been looking at the dark liquid in his mug before, slowly went over the form of her body, before locking with hers. "Your feelings aren't hard, so this shouldn't be. This isn't hard. Stop being like this and just open up."

Slowly, Agent Holmes's muscles went lax, her eyes widening and slowly watering. "Open up..?"

"Say it. Say the word 'love'."

She tried to pull back, raising her folder as if to strike him. "What makes you think--"

"I don't think, I know. I know because I love you."

"How can I belie-.."

"Open up." He released her wrist, looking up to her in a silent plea. She pulled back her arm, placing her hand in a loose fist over her heart, though her eyes never left his. How did she feel? Why did she feel her heart speeding up at that word..?

"I.. love you, too.." She whispered, the folder slipping from her fingers. The papers spilled out on the floor around her feet. Agent Bates only smiled, leaning back, and cocking his head to the side.

"Then, everything will be okay, love."

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Kagome stood in front of her mirror in her bedroom, wearing the slightly blood-stained school uniform she had worn her last day in Sengoku Jidai. The hair tie, collar, and badge sat on her dresser, the glow from the shikon kakera calming her frayed nerves. The wish? She still had not decided on what it would be. It would be the toughest decision she ever had to make.

_'Tougher than sealing the well..?'_ The back of her mind taunted her. Kagome only tossed the memories aside and faked a smile in the mirror. It looked so hollow that it pained her to watch.

_'Stop! I'll make it all okay! I'll fix everything!'_ She frantically thought, pleading for her mind to give her a rest on this day. At least she was past the blacking out...

Kagome opened the door to her closet, then pulled out a red bundle. It was, of course, the infamous fire-rat haori of Inu-Yasha. She could smell his forest scent, not the scent of cologne from Agent Smith-Inu, and it brought tears to her eyes again. He was the same hanyou.. He was..

He was...

She crushed the haori to her chest and dropped to her knees, the barriers wavering. _'Be strong..! It all ends today!' _She bit her lip, choking back a rising sob. The Inu-Yasha she loved was gone.. He died five-hundred years ago in her mind, with the undead miko. That man... His scent was that of Axe, not the forest. His clothes were tighter than the loose hamaka she had grown to love so much. His hair was shampooed and brushed, making it look dangerously close to Sesshoumaru's. His skin was paler, his muscles smaller.. His ears didn't even twitch the same way. The sexy growl was not as deep..

Kagome slammed her fist into the carpet. What was she thinking?! She loved him no matter what form he was in! Had her pain really changed her emotions so drastically?

"I love you, Inu-Yasha.." She whispered to her empty room. It just wasn't the same.. He didn't watch her sleep from the tree outside her room, it just seemed like he was conflicted. Perhaps he knew what she had said to Agent Smith? Maybe he felt bad about his wish not pleasing her? Or did the past of not choosing Kikyou haunt him..?

On that thought, Kagome slowly picked herself off of the ground and glanced into the mirror again. A hollow shell with watery eyes. She could change that.. She could bring the life back into her eyes..

"Inu-Yasha!" She called out, aware that he was nearby, ready to go and make the wish. Sure enough, he peeked his head in through her door, an ear twitching lazily. "Come in here." Kagome commanded, dragging the rosary off of her dresser.

"What is it?" Inu-Yasha asked as he crossed the distance between them, naked from the waist up. Kagome only smiled softly and stepped close to him, draping the haori around his shoulders, before embracing him for a moment. Her arms slid into the haori, to wrap around his bare skin. He blinked for a moment, before wrapping his arms back around her, his hand resting lightly on her head, fingers threading into her hair. "Kagome.."

"Shh.." She looked up at him, her hollow eyes looking up into him. "Just close your eyes.." As he did so, she slowly brought her arm from around him, rosary in hand, and draped it over his head, until it hung around his neck. After placing a light kiss on his lips, she stepped away, to take in his image. The haori hanging from his form, giving him back his forest scent, the worn rosary dangling around his neck.. He seemed perfect, except for the subtle changes and the blue jeans he was wearing. Tentatively, she ran her tongue along her bottom lip, one, solemn word circling in her head.

"O-su-wa-ri.." She sounded out each syllable. His eyes shot open, his ear twitching in recognition of the word, a spilt-second before the rosary glowed with the power of her voice. Inu-Yasha was dragged to the ground by his neck, slamming face-first into the carpet. Kagome's lips twitched in a real smile, wanting to say the word again, but knowing he did nothing to deserve being subdued at the moment.

"Wha-...What the hell did I do?!" Inu-Yasha spat up at her, lifting his face from the plush carpet. At least it was soft.. Kagome looked at the familiar angry expression, mixed with confusion, and laughed softly, muffling it with the palm of her hand. Soon, the laughter escaped from her mouth, shaking her shoulders as she grinned. She had wanted one moment where it felt like things were normal. Just one moment.. And all it had taken was a word to get that moment.

"Sorry, Inu-Yasha.." She held a hand out for him, still grinning. He still seemed confused, but she only thought his expression was cute.

Maybe it would all be okay, after all...

"Remind me why I'm wearing this stuff again." Agent Smith raised an eyebrow at Kagome , leaning an elbow on the bartop. Once again at _Erotic Pleasures_, Kagome had placed the badge back on to meet with the two other agents, while Shippou and Kirara sat behind the counter. Kiki and Tsubii busied themselves serving drinks to other customers to give them time to themselves.

"Because I said to." Kagome stated, looking over at the haori and rosary Agent Smith adorned. Even the Tetsusaiga rested in his lap. In a pouch, under her shirt, was the hair tie and collar, glowing slightly with a pure power only she could see. It was almost time..

"We're here!" Agent Holmes and Agent Bates came into view, sitting down beside them at the bar. They both looked happier than normal, and even though Agent Bates's eyes strayed to the strippers a few times, Agent Holmes seemed oblivious.

"Good, good. So, what did you find?" Agent Smith asked, getting right to the point. He had heard of the wish from Kagome's talk with Shippou, and knew today would be the day. Therefore, today would be the last day he would have with Kagome. And Inu-Yasha be damned, he had developed feelings for her..

But were they his own, or Inu-Yasha's..?

He wasn't sure. All he knew was that he wanted to delay it.

"We seem to think their hideout must be around this area. The other alleys showed no signs of their type of work, nor any 'secret doors'." Agent Holmes explained, handing him the folder she had been thumbing through earlier in the morning. Kagome, eager to get the rest of the jewel together, leaned over the counter, then nudged Agent Smith in the ribs. They had discussed it; he was to ask them to take their badges off.

_'Why is he hesitating?!'_ Kagome wondered, jabbing him sharper in the ribs. He winced slightly, glancing at her from the corner of his eye, then sighed.

"Hey, you guys.. Take off your badges. I want to see something."

"See what?" Agent Bates tilted his head to the side, blinking as he zoned back in from the world of skin and cleavage.

"Just do it. It's important." Agent Smith could feel dread going through him. The two agents shrugged, then complied, taking off their badges. Shortly after, they both blinked, becoming the Sengoku Jidai Sango and Miroku. Kagome took the badges from Agent Smith, and pulled the pouch from her shirt. She put them inside the pouch, then clenched her fist over it, squeezing and concentrating a moment. Her emotional problems may have caused her to neglect practicing her miko powers, but they had not deminished. Soon, she felt the round ball of the almost complete Shikon no Tama in her palm, only missing the last piece that rested on Agent Smith.

"Kagome-chan, we're back to this place?" Sango asked, blinking again, as she glanced around. Tsubii, with her excellent timing, just happened to bound up with some Irish beer, placing the mugs in front of the two.

"On the house! Glad to see you came back, after all." She grinned at Miroku's look, and the way Sango steamed.

"I don't believe we've met.." Sango muttered.

"Harsh." Kiki stated, coming up beside Tsubii. "Just because you can't keep your guy's eyes in line doesn't mean you don't know us."

"Sango-cha-... Err, Agent Holmes." Kagome stressed the agent name, giving Sango a sharp look. "Don't do mean jokes."

Sango only blinked, then nodded in understanding. "I'm sorry.. It's just the Houshi.. err.. _him." _She gestured to Miroku. "He doesn't know when to stop looking.. and.. heeey! Houshi-sama, no, she can't bare your child!"

Needless to say, the mug of Irish beer clunked him on the head, before being poured over him. Luckily, it didn't shatter, leaving him with only a major headache.

"Now, Agent Smith..." Kagome looked over at him with pleading eyes. He only stared straight ahead, into nothingness. He thought she would wish for Inu-Yasha back.. Would that mean that he and his other two agents, as well as her cat and the orphan, cease to exist? Would he die..? How would he say goodbye to the broken-hearted stripper that he had fallen for?

"I know. But.. What will you wish for?" Agent Smith turned his eyes to her without moving his head. "I want to know before I give it to you. What do you really desire, Kagome?" His back was rigid, in a haori covered in the blood of a man who's soul seemed to be clashing with his own.

"Desire.." Kagome seemed taken back, trying to think of what was really in her heart. "For things to be okay.."

"What does that mean? To wish that your friends and Inu-Yasha will be freed from us? To end our lives?" He turned his head to her, his hand slowly coming up to his badge. "Don't say it.. I know you'll only do it. But.. I'll do it for you. For you, I'll give up myself.. Kagome.." He gulped. "Goodb--"

Suddenly, the club door slammed open, causing a collection of female gasps. A group of haggard men stood in the doorway, tall, muscular, gruff... Most sported facial hair with bits of dirt in it, though all dressed in leather coats, black turtle necks, and faded blue jeans. Agent Smith was immediately on his guard.

It was the gang, at last, only this time they had their brains with them- the boss.

"Her!" One of them bellowed, pointing a chubby finger at Kagome. She paled, her hand still grasping the pouch around her neck. "She's the one that slapped brother and got the others arrested! She's the one that managed to escape the rape! Finish her off! Her agent protector, too!"

And just like that, they produced AK-47's and shotguns. Kagome's stomach bottomed out, her mind going blank and she stared like a deer caught in the headlights of an incoming eighteen-wheeler. Her mouth opened in a silent scream, barely aware of Tsubii and Kiki pulling out their own guns from beneath the bar. Miroku and Sango, oblivious to the fact that guns shot bullets at speeds high enough to easily kill them, sat there stupidly. Agent Smith shoved Kagome down just as the first shot was fired, barely missing it, and managing to roll with her behind the bar. Gunshots rang in her ears, the only thought going through her head being, '_I can't believe this is happening!'_

Agent Smith pulled his gun from his holster, hearing the sounds of bystanders screaming, getting killed, while Tsubii and Kiki fired at will. Sango and Miroku had managed to make it over the bartop, wide-eyed at the dangers of the future. This was even worse than youkai! Ningens with _that_ power to kill! Kami-sama help us all.

But.. Sango had managed to take a hit, her arm now freely bleeding with the gaping bullet hole. Her hand grasped her arm, not quite understanding what had happened to her arm. "H-houshi-sama.." She groaned to Miroku, as he rested his hands on her shoulders.

"Sango! Sango! Daijoubou ka?!" Miroku looked over at Kagome. "Kagome-sama, what's going on?! What are those things?"

Kagome didn't hear his question, however, for she was watching Agent Smith slowly begin to stand. "No.." she whispered, grabbing ahold of his pant leg. "You can't get up..!"

"I have to, Kagome. It's my job." Agent Smith jerked his leg from her hold, cocking his gun. A scream from his side registered that Kiki or Tsubii had gotten shot. "They have to be stopped."

"But.." Kagome protested, but it was too late...

The gang leader was looming over the counter, staring at her with a smirk, his gun raised. "Say goodnight, sweetheart." He muttered, aiming, as she froze. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion after that. Agent Smith lunging over her, the sound of gun fire, the splatter of blood..

They shot each other.

Agent Smith shot the gang leader, just as he shot him, aiming for her. Kagome's life was saved because of the man. And she was forced to watch in horror as his body landed on top of her, the blood quickly beginning to stain through the haori, to her school sailor-type shirt. "Agent Smith!" Kagome screamed out, shaking him by the shoulders, her eyes on the bullet hole in his chest. The blood poured out onto her, the rest of the world fading away, except for him dying. "No.. Why would you do that?"

His eyes seemed to try to focus on her for a moment. "Because.. I care.. and I don't want you to die.. Use your life and wish.." A thin trail of blood began to drip from the side of his lip. "Goodbye, Kagome.."

"Goodbye, Agent Smith.." Kagome whispered back, tears tracing down her cheeks as she slammed the Shikon no Tama against his badge..

And wished.

Everything spun by so fast, like rewinding a movie. Only she was in it. She could feel herself being pulled backwards, feel her head spinning, until she feared she would puke on the fathoms of time itself. The wish came from her heart, and she was content with knowing she had done the right thing..

Her body was pulled up, then out, and her eyes snapped open, the air rushing from her lungs in a huge gasp. Everything was dark, yet so eerily still. Fog brushed the tips of the trees in the forest, the familiar forest scent bringing her a sense of comfort. She then noticed her knee propped up on the hard, old wood of the well she had traveled through so many times before. Her eyes gazed into the depths, the darkness seeming infinite. What was she doing here again? She thought of the blood from Agent Smith.. The tears.. Why was she back here?

Then, she heard his voice. His voice calling out to her, telling her not to go. Part of her mind screamed for her to make the jump, to seal the well, but a heat in her hand caused her to wince.

There was the Shikon no Tama, glowing brightly. Her reflection in it seemed normal; no bags under her eyes, her hair was thick; her eyes still filled with life..

What was going on?

Slowly, it began to pixelate, then float in little orbs of light from her palm. '_He didn't leave you..'_ Her own voice sounded in her head, sounding tired. _'So, don't leave him..'_ Then, the light vanished.

A stick broke behind her, causing her to spin around, taking her knee from the well lip. Only then did she realize she was cut up from running through the forest, though the pain mattered not, for _he _was in front of her. Her breath hitched in her throat, as she watched his mouth open and close, before he was able to force out, "I didn't mean it, don't leave!"

She only smiled with tear-filled eyes, though the tears were out of happiness for the moment. She quickly crossed the distance between them, clinging to his body like a life-line. "It's okay, I know." Taking in the feel of him, knowing he was real, she sighed softly, contentedly, and rested her head against his chest.

If everything hurt too much, would you wish to forget them?

Kagome had pondered that question ever since she had sealed the well. She wanted to forget him, and she tried so hard, but it was impossible. She always found herself comparing others to him, thinking of his scent, his body.. And when she finally had the power to make that wish, she instead made the wish in her heart. A wish that would make everything okay. Tsubii and Kiki, as well as the innocent would still live, and the agents would still be okay. They would never meet, and that was for the best. Agent Smith could find someone else and be happy himself.

"Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere, Inu-Yasha.." Kagome smiled, her usual self, instead of a walking shell.

She wished to be back to the moment before she went through the well for the final time.

And the Shikon no Tama was purified.

_Owari.

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**A/N: That's it! The end, no more! After over a year, I finally got my lazy ass to finish it. I know the ending was kinda WAFFy, but I couldn't help it. I planned on making an alternate ending to this, but I decided not to waste the time making another one where everyone got shot in detail and the wish got used by the gang to blow up the world. I just kinda wanted to get this all over with. I like angst endings, and I'm usually against happy endings, but oh well.. I did it for the reviewers that would've shot me without a nice Inu/Kag ending.**

**Oh well, it'll be okay. I'll see you on the next fic!**

**-Kaggerz.**


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